Learning in our Foundation Stage

EYFS Vision Statement

In the early years at Summerbank Primary Academy we provide a caring, safe and secure environment. We aim to stimulate children’s curiosity to independently explore their surroundings both inside and outdoors. We believe learning should be fun and suitably challenging to build children’s resilience and to develop their problem-solving skills.

We are passionate about enhancing children’s vocabulary and providing them with the experiences needed to understand the world around them. Together we enable them to build the knowledge and skills they need to become life long learners. Adults provide high quality interactions and are role models for learning.

 EYFS Curriculum

Our aim is to provide a progressive curriculum in each of the seven areas, building on the children’s prior learning, preparing them to enter the next stage of their journey with the tools they need to access Year 1.

Children learn through a thematic approach to the curriculum. We use stories as a vehicle to broaden the children’s vocabulary and experiences. As well as providing the children with real life experiences to enhance learning and make it memorable.

 

Our EYFS Curriculum Goals

We developed our curriculum goals to capture key learning we would like each of our children to reach by the time they leave our Foundation Stage.

In 2021 the curriculum used by all EYFS settings was updated and in line with this we have produced our ‘Summerbank Foundations’ which capture the expected learning in each of the seven areas, for children at different stages:

  •  Pre Foundation (Pre-Nursery
  • Foundation One (Nursery) 
  • Foundation Two (Reception) which feeds into the achievement of the Early Learning Goal

    The statements in our Summerbank Foundations are then used to plan out ‘Expected Learning for each half term’.  To ensure that children’s learning is embedded, practitioners review at the end of a half term and move any statements requiring further development into the next half term’s planning.

    Topic Unit Plans are developed by teachers contextualising the Expected Learning by identifying specific opportunities linked to books.  These are completed before the beginning of each half term, then added to through the term if necessary.