How we teach in EYFS
In EYFS, children learn by playing and exploring, being active and thinking critically through a balance of adult and child-led teaching to allow them to develop and achieve. Focused adult-led teaching is planned for and then continuous and enhanced provision allows for children to apply their own learning and develop their own ideas.
Through our book-themed approach to planning, children are exposed to a range of texts to explore in depth. We want children to develop a love and enjoyment for reading, and we feel this approach supports this. This allows children to develop and understand a range of appropriate and higher order vocabulary and knowledge that they can use and apply in other curriculum areas.
Each day, children throughout EYFS have a focused phonics session. Over the school day, children also have the opportunity to work with adults, both as planned teaching opportunities and responding to children’s own ideas for learning in a range of areas from the EYFS curriculum.
In EYFS, we also learn about different seasons and festivals celebrated during the year, allowing children to build up their knowledge further about the local area and further away from home.
We recognise that children will learn most effectively when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults who care for them. We aim to provide an environment where children look forward to coming to school, enjoy learning and grow in confidence.
Throughout our EYFS, there are children of differing abilities. We recognise this fact and provide suitable learning opportunities for all children. Children who need extra support in their learning are supported in a variety of ways. In both Nursery and Reception, we follow the BLAST speech and language programme, created by speech and language therapists. We run our own speech and language small intervention groups. We also offer targeted support in other areas including supporting gross and fine motor skills.
Throughout our learning environment, both inside and outside, we want to create an environment that creates curiosity, awe and wonder. We use a variety of resources, including loose parts to promote critical thinking and to stimulate children’s imaginations. Our classroom displays are celebrations of children’s work, especially through our working wall where each child has a space to display their own special work.
We love to provide children with opportunities that lots of them have not experienced before or that enhance their learning in school. We go on visits to support this and have lots of visitors in school.
