EYFS
Creswell Class – Reception
At St Luke’s, Reception is the beginning of an exciting learning journey. We want every child to feel safe, happy, valued and confident, while developing the knowledge, language, skills and learning behaviours they need to flourish throughout school.
Our EYFS curriculum is ambitious, language-rich and rooted in high-quality, first-hand experiences. We build carefully on what children already know and can do when they join us, while introducing them to new experiences, ideas and vocabulary that broaden their understanding of the world.
Every child is unique and our curriculum responds to the interests, curiosity and needs of each cohort. Alongside carefully planned teaching, children are given opportunities to explore, investigate, ask questions, solve problems and follow their own lines of enquiry.
Our Christian vision, Work Together – Grow Together – FLOURISH Together, runs throughout our provision. The Characteristics of Effective Learning also help our children to become curious, resilient and increasingly independent learners who are willing to explore, persevere, make connections and think creatively.
Our EYFS Curriculum
Our curriculum is built upon the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and covers all seven areas of learning.
The three Prime Areas are Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development.
The four Specific Areas are Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.
Although each area is important, learning in Reception does not happen in isolation. Children make connections across the curriculum through carefully planned teaching, purposeful play, stories, discussion, exploration and first-hand experiences.
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced across the year so that children progressively develop the knowledge, vocabulary and skills they need. Our half-termly themes provide rich contexts for learning while remaining flexible enough for staff to respond to children’s interests, experiences and emerging needs.
Communication and Language
Communication and Language sits at the heart of our EYFS curriculum.
Children are immersed in a language-rich environment where adults model ambitious vocabulary, extend children’s thinking and engage them in sustained conversations throughout the day.
Stories, non-fiction, rhymes, poems, songs, role play, discussion, visits and real-life experiences provide children with meaningful opportunities to listen, talk, question, describe and explain.
Vocabulary is deliberately introduced, revisited and applied across different areas of learning so that children increasingly communicate their ideas confidently and clearly.
How Children Learn in Reception
Children learn through a carefully considered balance of:
- whole-class teaching and modelling
- focused small-group and individual teaching
- guided and adult-directed activities
- purposeful continuous provision
- child-initiated play and exploration
- high-quality interactions with adults
- learning indoors and outdoors
- visits, visitors and memorable first-hand experiences.
Our learning environment is carefully planned so that children can practise and apply what they have been taught independently.
Adults observe, question, model, explain and intervene thoughtfully to move learning forward. Provision is continually adapted in response to children’s needs while maintaining ambitious expectations for every child.
Early Reading and Phonics
Developing confident, enthusiastic readers is a key priority from the moment children begin at St Luke’s.
Children are taught phonics and early reading systematically through FFT Success for All Phonics. They take part in daily phonics teaching alongside frequent opportunities to practise and apply their developing knowledge.
Children encounter a carefully chosen range of stories, traditional tales, non-fiction, poetry, rhymes and songs throughout the year. These texts are used not only to develop reading but also to build vocabulary, comprehension, imagination and knowledge of the wider world.
Books are also woven throughout our continuous provision so that reading is a natural and enjoyable part of children’s everyday experience.
Early Writing
Children’s journey towards becoming confident writers begins with talk.
Through stories, role play, discussion and first-hand experiences, children develop the vocabulary and ideas they need before putting these into writing.
Fine-motor development, pencil control and letter formation are taught alongside phonics so that children progressively move from mark-making and writing their name towards spelling words and composing increasingly independent phrases and sentences.
Writing opportunities are also embedded throughout the learning environment so that children can apply their skills for real purposes through their play.
Mathematics
Our mathematics curriculum develops secure foundations in number alongside shape, space, measure and pattern.
Children learn through explicit teaching, practical exploration, mathematical talk and purposeful opportunities to apply their understanding through play.
Throughout Reception, children develop a deep understanding of number, including counting, subitising, composition, comparison and number relationships. They also explore pattern, shape, measures, position, direction and spatial reasoning.
We place particular emphasis on children being able to explain their mathematical thinking, make connections and solve problems rather than simply remembering answers.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children’s wellbeing and personal development underpin everything we do.
We help children to develop positive relationships, understand and regulate their emotions, become increasingly independent and develop resilience when things are challenging.
Our curriculum supports children to learn how to cooperate, take turns, resolve difficulties, understand the needs and feelings of others and become confident members of our school community.
Our FLOURISH values are woven naturally throughout this learning and help children begin to understand what it means to be a good friend, learner and member of our community.
Understanding the World
We want children to become curious about the world around them.
Through stories, investigation, visits, visitors and first-hand experiences, children learn about people, communities, places, nature and the past.
Our curriculum encourages children to observe carefully, notice similarities and differences, ask questions and develop an increasingly rich vocabulary with which to describe what they discover.
Children are introduced to experiences beyond their immediate surroundings so that their knowledge and understanding of the world steadily broadens.
Expressive Arts and Design
Creativity is an important part of life in Reception.
Children have regular opportunities to explore art, design, music, movement, performance and imaginative play.
They are encouraged to experiment with materials, develop their own ideas, learn new techniques and express themselves creatively.
Stories, music and role play are also used extensively to deepen children’s understanding across other areas of the curriculum.
Our Curriculum Journey
Across the year, children experience six broad curriculum themes.
Autumn 1 – Our Class, Our Crew!
Children settle into school, build relationships and learn about themselves, their families and their new community.
Autumn 2 – Terrific Tales!
Traditional tales, storytelling, imagination, celebrations and Christmas provide the stimulus for learning.
Spring 1 – From Here to Everywhere!
Children explore journeys, transport and the wider world, developing their understanding of different places and ways of travelling.
Spring 2 – Wings, Tails and Tiny Trails!
Children investigate animals, minibeasts, life cycles and the natural world.
Summer 1 – Sunshine and Seeds!
Children explore plants, growth, food, farming and seasonal change.
Summer 2 – Jurassic Journeys!
Dinosaurs provide an exciting context for developing knowledge across the curriculum while children also begin preparing for their transition into Year 1.
Our themes provide a rich context for learning rather than restricting it. Planning remains responsive to children’s interests, needs and experiences, allowing staff to follow children’s curiosity while ensuring that essential knowledge, vocabulary and skills are taught progressively across the year.
Enrichment and First-Hand Experiences
We know that children learn particularly well when they can experience things for themselves.
Visits, visitors, celebrations and special experiences are therefore woven throughout our EYFS curriculum. These opportunities help children to develop vocabulary, make connections with their learning and build knowledge of the world beyond their existing experiences.
Children encounter different people, places, communities, traditions and ways of life while developing a strong understanding of their own identity and community.
Books, resources and experiences are carefully chosen to broaden children’s horizons and positively represent the diversity of the world around them.
Assessment and Responsive Teaching
Assessment in EYFS is purposeful and closely connected to teaching.
When children begin Reception, we establish their individual starting points so that teaching can build effectively upon what they already know and can do.
Throughout the year, adults use observation, interaction, children’s work and ongoing formative assessment to understand what children know, remember and can apply.
This allows us to identify misconceptions, barriers and next steps quickly. Where children need additional support, teaching and provision are adapted and targeted support is put in place. Where children are secure, adults provide further challenge and opportunities to deepen and apply their learning.
Children’s progress is reviewed throughout the year and assessment judgements are moderated to ensure they are accurate and consistent.
Preparing Children for Year 1
Our aim is not simply to prepare children for the end of Reception; it is to establish strong foundations for everything that follows.
Throughout the year, children develop increasing independence, resilience and confidence. Expectations gradually increase as children become more secure in reading, writing, mathematics, communication and personal development.
EYFS and Year 1 staff work closely together to ensure that curriculum knowledge, expectations and approaches connect effectively across the transition.
By the time children leave Reception, we want them to be confident, curious and increasingly independent learners who are ready and excited for the next stage of their education.
Above all, we want every child to leave Creswell Class having developed strong foundations from which they can continue to Work Together, Grow Together and FLOURISH Together.