Early Years Provision

‘The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.’ Maria Montessori

Curriculum Intent

Here at Colburn Community Primary School, in line with the school motto, ‘Believe and Achieve’ we create an ethos, in Early Years, that enables all children to achieve well regardless of their socio-economic background.

We work in close partnership with parents and carers, recognising the important role they play in children’s early childhood development.  We understand that for parents and carers, knowing that their child is in an environment they love and with educators they trust, is essential. Our environment is supportive, engaging, full of curiosity and safe. Our curriculum has been designed to enable all children’s natural curiosity to flourish through awe and wonder experiences.

Through sensitive adult interactions that support and move children’s learning forward whilst following interests we aim to provide them with the skills needed for a successful future in education.

Implementation

In Early Years, we believe children are at the very beginning of their learning journey, learning skills through their play. We recognise that a child who is concentrating and absorbed whilst engaging with their environment, whatever their outcome, is learning.

Following the ‘Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage,’ we recognise the ways in which the child engages with other people and their environment. The characteristics of learning; playing and exploring, active learning, creating and thinking critically, underpin learning and development across all areas and supports the child to remain an effective and motivated learner.

The seven areas of the curriculum are taught through rich first-hand experiences, inside and out to widen experiences and deepen learning. Children are supported to explore and problem solve whilst linking learning in order to acquire and develop new skills. Daily focused learning takes place across all of Foundation Stage, however all planning is flexible and can be adapted dependant on children’s needs and interests. We provide opportunities for children to engage in meaningful play for extended periods of time to enable those youngest of learners to build and develop their skills. Children are given many opportunities to practise these skills in-order to master them and become ready for their next stage of education.

In FS2 children are given opportunities to practise skills taught in group learning time, developing independence whilst making links across their learning.

We prioritise creating a language-rich environment through; stories, nursery rhymes, quality adult interactions and poems. Children are exposed to new vocabulary and are encouraged and supported to use this within their everyday conversations. Through daily exposure nursery children quickly build up a bank of nursery rhymes which they enjoy singing and sharing. This forms the basis of our phonics teaching which continues into FS2. Children in FS2 follow the ‘Little Wandle’ phonics scheme. Through rigorous and regular teaching children make quick progress in their reading and writing.

Daily story times promote a love of reading and opportunities to explore new vocabulary. Stories are carefully chosen to support children’s learning and a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts are used to form the basis for activities.

For those children who find communication and language a little more challenging we have implemented the Launchpad for Literacy programme. This provides practitioners with small steps to identify children’s current needs and their next steps. The auditory and phonological awareness strands provide an excellent toolkit for early phonics teaching.

Our curriculum promotes and supports children’s emotional security and character development, enabling children to take risks in a safe and secure environment. We support children to be physically active and take safe risks. We teach children about the importance of keeping safe and healthy as well as being kind to others.

As part of the teaching and learning children are assessed in relation to Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception. Gathering evidence through interactions and observations, teachers make informed assessments in order to move learning forward. These assessments are used to inform children’s next steps throughout the year.

Regular phonics assessments enable teachers to identify those at risk and implement precise and effective interventions.

Impact

By the time our children leave the foundation stage, our Early Years curriculum will have enabled them to:

• Achieve a good level of development and skills in readiness for future learning
• Demonstrate high levels of engagement with activities and learning.
• Have secure phonic knowledge to enable them to make a good start in year one.
• Have a good understanding of the number system
• Have good communication skills to communicate effectively with peers and adults
• Form positive attachments and relationships with peers and adults
• Have an awareness of how to manage and control their own emotions; developing a positive sense of self.

We ensure that all children are given the best possible start to their education and they create memories and develop skills to have a successful school life.

Our nursery setting offers a 15 hour provision for children starting after their third birthday until they are due to start in Reception.  The provision consists of five morning sessions (8.45 - 11.45am) or five afternoons (12.30 - 3.30pm). To register your interest for a place for your child, please contact admin@colburn.n-yorks.sch.uk

We also offer 30 hour extended provision to those who are eligible, subject to availability.  To check your eligibility, please click the link below:

Children's Positional Language

“It goes.” Isaac

“It went under the bridge.” Kayden

“Up the ramp.” Alistair

“Through the tunnel.” Olivia

“Down the ramp and through my legs.” Tommy

“Over the bridge.” Ollie

"I put it on my nose!"- Poppy

"I put it on my nose like Poppy"-Kasper

"We was running, we made footprints." Isabelle

Summer Provision in Nursery