EYFS
At Kirk Sandall Infant School, we believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. We follow the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2 and from this we have developed our pedagogy and practice. We aim to provide a high quality setting, effectively managed by skilled and knowledgeable staff, that ensures each individual child feels safe, included and well supported. In doing so we represent the ethos that all children are unique and their learning and development is a result of establishing positive relationships with others within an enabling classroom environment.
At Kirk Sandall Infant School, we provide a broad and balanced curriculum which will enable each child to develop personally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, creatively and intellectually to his or her full potential. Each child is valued as an individual and teaching and learning is based on the understanding that children develop at different rates.
We aim to:
- Provide a safe, challenging, stimulating, caring and sharing environment which is sensitive to the needs of the child, including children with additional needs.
- Provide a broad, balanced, relevant, knowledge based and creative curriculum that will set in place firm foundations for future learning and development.
- Provide opportunities for children to learn through adult directed teaching as well as planned, purposeful play in all areas of learning and development.
- Use and value what each child can do, assessing their individual needs and helping each child to progress.
- Enable choice and decision-making, fostering independence and self-confidence.
- Work in partnership with parents and guardians and value their contributions, ensuring that all children, irrespective of ethnicity, culture, religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties, disabilities, gender or ability have the opportunity to experience a challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development.
- Provide opportunities whereby children experience a challenging and memorable learning experience.
- Provide rich experiences for all children, whatever their starting points, strengths and needs, which are inclusive.
Kirk Sandall Infant School has developed an ambitious curriculum, which follows the September 2023 statutory framework of the EYFS.
The framework includes seven areas of learning and development.
The prime areas are:
Communication and language
Physical development
Personal, social and emotional development.
The specific areas are:
Literacy;
Mathematics;
Understanding the world
Expressive arts and design.
All areas of learning are evident in the preparation and delivery of our curriculum in order to ensure the holistic development of our children. In planning for and guiding children’s activities, we use the characteristics of effective teaching and learning, to reflect on the different ways that children learn and then allow this information to influence practice.
The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:
Playing and exploring - children investigating, experiencing new things and being willing to ‘have a go’;
Active learning - children concentrating and persevering if they encounter difficulties and enjoy celebrating their achievements; and
Creating and thinking critically - children developing their own ideas, making links between ideas and developing strategies to accomplish a challenge.
Information for parents: Reception baseline assessment
Follow the links below to find out more about the curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage:
https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Birthto5Matters-download.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
