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Early Years at Reydon

What is it like in the Early Years at Reydon?

Our children are very happy. They are excited and motivated to learn through rich and challenging learning experiences. They have many opportunities to explore, take risks, and first-hand experiences. Every day, we provide opportunities for children to come together to share their experiences, learn and have fun.

We have high ambitions for all our children and recognise that children have different starting points to their learning. We plan according to children’s stage of development so all can thrive and develop. We aim for children to be well-rounded individuals who are independent, resilient, and confident in themselves and with others, ready to move into Year 1 and the National Curriculum.

A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. – Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework 2021.

reydon reception 2022 2023.pdf

Our Key Principles and Values

As part of the Active Learning Trust we contribute to and maintain the consistent principles and values set out in the Active Learning Trust EYFS Vision and Values document. In our Early Years Provision there is a clear focus on the individual child, enabling adults and exciting, inviting learning environments.

We know that from birth to 5yrs is when a child’s brain grows more rapidly than any other time in their life, making this stage vitally important for their development, wellbeing and learning. We strongly believe that children learn best when they are happy, secure and confident. At Reydon Primary School we offer the children meaningful experiences through:

Enriched social interactions
Stimulating indoor & outdoor environments
First hand experiences through visits and visitors.

All of these opportunities and experiences are aimed to trigger children’s natural curiosity. They will provide moments of ‘awe & wonder’, where children can become absorbed in uninterrupted play, allowing space problem solving, imagining and exploring the world around them

The EYFS Curriculum at Reydon

“It is as they play that children bring together everything they think about, feel about and know of people and their lives as a whole. We could say that play co-ordinates a

child’s learning. It helps children to make sense of what they learn.”Tina Bruce, Tuning into Children

Curriculum Intent

To provide memorable and inspirational experiences, opportunities and teaching that will motivate and engage learners and build a life-long love of learning.
To foster a love of reading through books and stories shared with children throughout the provision, in reading practise sessions and at home.
To value and promote equality, equity and diversity, support an understanding of, and respect for, people, families and communities both familiar and unfamiliar to them.
To provide the opportunity to play and learn outdoors, experience space and freedom, engage in energetic, risky and adventurous play and care for the natural world. This provides children with an appreciation of ecological balance, environmental care and the need to live sustainable lives.

Curriculum Implementation

The EYFS curriculum is first and foremost the EYFS Statutory framework. The Framework sets out the Characteristics of Effective Learning (How children learn) and the 7 Areas of Learning (What children learn.) Practitioners also use Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters to inform planning and assessment.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

The characteristics of effective learning and how we learn, underpins the Early Years Foundation Stage. These are the ways in which children engage with others and their environment – playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically – support the children to remain effective and motivated learners.

Playing and exploring: Finding out and exploring, playing with what they know and being willing to ‘have a go’.
Active Learning: Being involved and concentrating, persevering and enjoying achieving what they set out to do.
Creating and thinking critically: Having their own ideas, making links and choosing ways to do things.
To help children understand about how they can develop effective learning behaviours the adults actively encourage children to think about the Reydon 5R’s and model how to do this as they play and learn.
We make judgements about the child’s demonstration of these characteristics each term and use this information to support learning.

The 7 Areas of Learning

Our Reception follow the curriculum as outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory

Framework. This framework defines what we teach and we use the Birth to Five Matters and Development Matters guidance to support our curriculum. The EYFS framework includes seven areas of learning and development, all of which are seen as important and interconnected.

Three of the areas are referred to as the Prime areas. These are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving (Early Years Framework 2021)

Prime Areas Specific Areas

Personal, Social, Emotional Development Literacy

Communication and Language Maths

Physical Development Understanding the World

Expressive Arts and Design

Continuous Provision

All parts of our environment have been carefully planned to support children's development. It provides them with opportunities to demonstrate the Characteristics of Effective Learning. Our environment consists of many different areas of 'continuous provision'.
Continuous provision is the areas and resources which are always there for the children to explore. It is planned to be stimulating, engaging, purposeful, but challenging. Our provision enables children to make choices and learn through child-initiated play.

The continuous provision is enhanced daily which are linked directly to children's personalised next steps to enable strong learning and progress. These opportunities also offer further consolidation from direct teaching activities that take place, such as reading, phonics, writing and Mathematics.