Reception Curriculum Overview
Our EYFS Vision
Promoting curiosity and exploration of the world around us.
At St Peter’s we want to ensure that we are providing the children with the foundations for lifelong learning, as they start their journey in education.
We focus on the children’s holistic development – providing quality experiences that ensure your child becomes a confident, unique learner.
At the forefront of all educational experiences is a strong relationship between school and home - to ensure each child’s needs are being met and that they are all making progress from their individual starting points.
We provide high quality, adult-led learning experiences, alongside their independent exploration, to develop their fundamental skills ready for Year 1.
We hope the children will leave Reception with high engagement, independence, collaboration, self-confidence, resilience and curiosity.
St Peter’s Reception Journey
When your child starts school, they will join one of our two Reception classes within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the stage of education from birth to the end of the Reception year. It is based on the recognition that children learn best through play and active learning. The Characteristics of Effective Learning underpin our curriculum to ensure that your children have the best learning experience possible.
Characteristics of Effective Learning - (DfE EYFS Statutory Framework)
Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, relate to others, set their own goals, and solve problems. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play and learning that is guided by adults. As practitioners, we decide what we want children in our setting to learn, and the most effective ways to teach it. We do this by stimulating children’s interests, responding to each child’s emerging needs and guiding their development through warm, positive interactions coupled with secure routines for play and learning.
As children grow older and move through the reception year, there is a greater focus on teaching the essential skills and knowledge in the specific areas of learning. This will help children to prepare for Key Stage 1. This occurs through small-group, adult-led activities.
In planning and guiding what children learn, practitioners reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust our practice appropriately.
For the first few weeks, we spend lots of time building relationships with the children, supporting them in becoming familiar with their new environment and embedding high expectations and routines. Within these first 4-6 weeks, the children will complete the standardised Reception Baseline Assessment, 1:1 with their class teacher. This will inform the Reception teacher’s of your child’s starting points and support staff in monitoring your child’s progress as they move through the school.
At the end of Reception, the children will be assessed against the Early Learning Goals to form their individual EYFS Profile. This information will then be shared with their Year 1 teacher, as they transition into Key Stage 1.
Please read our EYFS Policy below for more information about how our EYFS setting supports the start of your child’s educational journey.
EYFS Policy
EYFS Policy
Reception Curriculum
Progression Documents
Personal, Social and Emotional
Long Term Plans
Personal, Social and Emotional
Useful Links
EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers
Development Matters - Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage
If you would like more information or detail on EYFS at St Peter's, then please call school on 01952 387980 or use the school email address: [email protected] and mark for the attention of the EYFS Lead – Miss Popsys.