Our Vision for the Early Years Foundation Stage

At Longwick C of E School, our vision for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is to create an environment where children are happy, engaged, and motivated in their learning. We believe that children learn best when they feel happy and involved, and we support them in developing their confidence, independence, and curiosity about the world around them. We encourage children to embrace new challenges, build resilience, and show empathy toward both adults and peers. Social and communication skills are a priority in our daily routines, helping to equip children with the tools they need for success in their future learning.

Our aim is to foster a love of learning in our children by providing positive relationships, child-initiated play opportunities, and adult-led interactions, all within an enabling and well-resourced environment. We provide enriching opportunities that build upon the children’s prior knowledge, skills, and experiences, enabling them to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Intent, Implementation, and Impact for the Early Years Foundation Stage

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards for learning, development, and care for children from birth to five years. At Longwick, we have one Reception class and work closely with local nurseries and pre-schools to ensure that children experience a smooth transition into school life.

Intent

At Longwick C of E School, our EYFS curriculum is designed to build upon each child’s prior learning, knowledge, skills, and experiences, providing motivating first-hand learning opportunities that encourage resilience, confidence, and independence. Every child is viewed as a unique individual, and we celebrate the diversity within our school, fostering an environment where children are encouraged to strive to be the best they can be in a supportive and nurturing Christian community.

We work in partnership with parents, carers, and other settings to ensure that each child receives the best possible start at Longwick, with the aim of helping every child reach their full potential. By the end of the Reception year, our goal is for all children to make good progress from their starting points and be equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to transition smoothly into Year 1.

We will:

• Provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment where children develop positive relationships with adults and peers.
• Offer extended periods of play and sustained shared thinking.
• Build children’s confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, and connect their learning.
• Follow the children’s interests and provide opportunities that support, consolidate, and deepen their learning.
• Identify gaps in children’s learning and ensure opportunities for all to achieve the Early Learning Goals and make expected progress.
• Create a stimulating learning environment that engages and motivates children.
• Ensure children make at least good progress from their starting points.
• Support smooth transitions from nursery/preschool to Reception and from Reception to Year 1.
• Broaden children’s experiences by providing opportunities to try new things and take on challenges.
• Foster positive relationships in a language-rich environment, promoting the importance of communication skills in everyday life.

We also promote the following Co-operative Learning Behaviours:

1. Active Listening
2. Helping and Encouraging Others
3. Completing Tasks
4. Everyone Participating
5. Explaining Ideas and ‘Why’

Implementation

Each half term, EYFS staff introduce a new theme to inspire learning, while also providing the flexibility for children to pursue their own interests and ideas. The curriculum is balanced between child-initiated and adult-directed activities, ensuring a broad and progressive learning environment that motivates and engages the children. Through adult-led activities, staff check for understanding using questioning techniques, address misconceptions, and provide instant verbal feedback to reinforce learning.

The curriculum is child-centred and adapts based on the cohort’s interests and needs, helping children develop new skills and acquire knowledge through the seven areas of the EYFS curriculum. Continuous provision allows children to apply and develop the skills taught during adult-led activities, supporting the development of key life skills such as independence, creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Throughout the day, children have opportunities for independent work and collaborative group work, with a carefully structured timetable that includes bursts of direct teaching and guided exploration. We actively promote the importance of healthy eating, physical activity, kindness, and respect, aligning with the school’s values. We also maintain close partnerships with parents, providing regular updates on their child’s progress and offering suggestions to further support learning at home.

Literacy

Reading is at the heart of our EYFS curriculum, and we aim to nurture a love of reading from the start. We introduce children to a wide range of books carefully chosen to develop oracy, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. These books are integrated into our provision through activities, story sessions, and displays, enabling children to internalize new vocabulary, language patterns, and retell stories.

Phonics

We follow the DfES-approved Little Wandle Letters and Sounds programme, ensuring consistency across the school. In Reception, children begin with Phase 1 phonics as part of their everyday interactions and progress to Phases 2 and 3, developing Grapheme Phoneme Correspondence (GPC) and segmenting and blending skills. By the Summer term, children move on to Phase 4, reinforcing their phonics knowledge through reading practice and applying it in writing.

Mathematics

In Reception, we follow the White Rose Maths Scheme of Work. Through high-quality interactions and the use of concrete manipulatives, children develop mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills. Tasks are designed to revisit key concepts, apply learning, and address misconceptions, with opportunities for children to explore, rehearse, and record their findings independently.

Wider Curriculum

Our wider curriculum is taught through the areas of ‘Understanding the World’ and ‘Expressive Arts and Design.’ EYFS staff ensure that planning and CPD opportunities align with the National Curriculum, with subject leads throughout the school aware of key Early Learning Goals (ELGs) that connect to foundation subjects. Activities are designed to build on children’s natural curiosity, with opportunities for subject-specific language development and exploration.

Inclusion

We take an inclusive approach, ensuring that all children learn together while providing additional support or challenge where needed. This includes interventions for children requiring extra support in speech and language, fine motor skills, phonics, and mathematics.

Impact

Our EYFS curriculum ensures that children make good progress from their varied starting points, with the goal of meeting the Early Learning Goals by the end of Reception and being in line with national expectations. The effectiveness of our curriculum is assessed through ongoing monitoring, including formal assessments, moderation, and analysis of progress data. We also measure the impact by observing how well children develop into well-rounded individuals who demonstrate school values and are prepared for lifelong learning.

By the end of the Foundation Stage, our pupils will have:

• Positive attitudes to learning, with high levels of curiosity, engagement, and enjoyment.
• Effective speaking and listening skills that support their access to further learning and communication.
• A broader sense of the world, enabling them to make connections between their experiences and new knowledge.
• Confidence to apply their knowledge in a variety of contexts and explain their understanding.
• The ability to reflect on their successes and challenges, showing resilience and problem-solving skills.
• Successful learning behaviours in preparation for Year 1, including cooperation, empathy, and respect for others.
• A broad vocabulary and confidence in communication with adults and peers.
• The ability to apply phonics and mathematical knowledge in real-world contexts.
• Self-regulation skills and the ability to work cooperatively with others.

Assessment

Baseline: Before starting, staff gather information from parents and previous settings to understand each child’s starting points. In the first half term of Reception, ongoing assessments, observations, and conversations help build a baseline assessment to guide planning and ensure progress.

Ongoing Observation: Observations inform weekly planning and identify next steps for children. These formative assessments are based on staff expertise and professional judgment, using observations, photographs, and examples of children’s work. Some observations are shared with parents via Tapestry.

Formal Assessment: Phonics assessments are conducted every half term to identify children not making expected progress. The EYFS Profile is completed in Summer Term 2, where teachers assess whether children have met each of the 17 ELGs. Teachers also provide a narrative for children exceeding the ELGs, which is shared with parents and the Year 1 teacher.

By tracking progress through formal and informal assessments, we ensure that our children leave EYFS with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to succeed in Year 1 and beyond.