Early Years Foundation Stage

Intent - What we want for our Reception learners?

• To be a part of an EYFS curriculum that encourages independent, inquisitive, and happy learners.
• For children’s wellbeing to be central, with a focus on safety, security, and building positive relationships; ensuring children’s prior learning and different starting points are recognised.
• A holistic curriculum with cross-curricular links, supporting vocabulary and language development.
• To support children to build strong foundations for their future
• Ensure every child is seen as a unique individual and their individual needs are nurtured.
• A curriculum that is based on exciting topics, stories, and vocabulary that spark interest, but is also flexible - adapting each year to children’s current interests, curiosities, and needs.
• Allows children to develop within vibrant indoor and outdoor provision that follows children’s interests and supports learning through the Characteristics of Effective Learning.
• To work in close partnership with families’ to support children’s learning and ensure they reach their full potential.
• To be prepared for entering the National Curriculum through a smooth transition from EYFS to KS1.
• To always be a part of an ambitious and inclusive curriculum, providing all children—especially the disadvantaged—with knowledge and cultural capital for life.
• Ensure experiences are carefully sequenced to build knowledge and skills step by step

Implementation - How is the EYFS curriculum delivered?

Engaging Environments – Indoor and Outdoor

Our classroom environment is much more than just a physical space; it is a place for children to feel safe, develop positive relationships with staff and peers and express their feelings freely. It is an environment that is carefully planned to accommodate children's changing needs and interests, as well as support the intentions of our ambitious and coherently planned and sequenced curriculum. The high-quality resources within our indoor and outdoor environments aim to:

• Spark curiosity and independence, through open ended opportunities.
• Promote focus, engagement, and sustained learning; encouraging self-directed learning.
• Teach children to use resources respectfully and take pride in their environment.
• Support the development of physical growth, creativity, teamwork, and problem solving, especially within our outdoor provision.
• Ensure children enjoy independent, free-flow continuous provision between indoors and outdoors.
• Support children to take calculated risks and reach their full potential.

Continuous Provision - Child Led Learning

• Continuous provision (“Learning Time”) happens twice daily, giving children time to develop independent skills and apply learning across all areas.
• A plan–do–review sequence, inspired by Greg Bottrill’s “Can I Go and Play Now?”, allows children to plan, act on, and review their chosen activities, supported by adults.
• Planning strategies adapt according to each cohort’s needs and are enhanced weekly based on children’s interests and next steps.
• At the end of each session, children review their adventures with peers and adults, who model language and support reflection.

Language and Vocabulary - Role of the Adult                                                                                                             

The EYFS team prioritises high-quality adult interactions during continuous provision, following principles from Julie Fisher’s “Interacting or Interfering?”. They model strong speaking, listening, and reading skills to support children’s language and vocabulary development, engaging children with exciting reading and clear explanations. Staff check understanding, address misconceptions, and adapt teaching accordingly. Additional support, such as the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) and Drawing Club by Greg Bottrill is used for children who need it, and the EYFS lead delivers ongoing training to maintain high-quality interactions and vocabulary use.         

Teaching Inputs and Focused Tasks – Adult Led Learning

In addition to daily continuous provision, children take part in short, focused tasks in literacy, phonics, mathematics, and handwriting. These tasks increase in length, challenge, and expectation over the year to meet developmental standards and prepare children for Year 1. Clear links to the Read Write Inc. phonics programme are embedded, enabling children to transfer knowledge across learning, and they are encouraged to apply their learning during continuous provision. 

Parental Engagement

Parents are kept well-informed of their child’s progress in Reception through a physical EYFS Learning Journey, which is updated each half term with photos, learning observations, and a termly progress report. Parents are invited to events such as parents’ evenings, open evenings, and “Catch Up and Cake” sessions, where they can review their child’s Learning Journey, see the classroom, and talk with the EYFS team. They can also contribute by sharing ‘WOW Moments’ from home, which are added to their child’s Learning Journey to create a full picture of their development.

 Impact - How do we know our EYFS curriculum is effective?

The EYFS curriculum aims to help children become confident, independent, and secure learners. They develop knowledge and skills across the seven areas of learning, including language and vocabulary, and apply these effectively. Observations and pupil voice show that children confidently articulate their understanding, engage in thoughtful conversations, and use new vocabulary fluently—building strong foundations for future learning, especially reading.

Summative and Statutory Assessment

Within the EYFS, summative and statutory assessment are conducted to review the progress of children’s developments. These are:

• Reception Baseline Assessment – a short assessment which is taken within the first six weeks of a child starting their Reception year. This assessment gives an indication of children’s starting points.
• Termly Assessment – Children are assessed against the Development Matters framework & the EYFS framework ELG’s using the stages: 0-3 years Working Within, 0-3 Developing, 0-3 Secure, 3-4 Working Within, 3-4 Developing, 3-4 Secure, Emerging, Expected. All data is recorded on our school’s chosen assessment platform, INSIGHT and an a termly progress report is added to the children’s individual learning journey.
• EYFS Profile – a comprehensive assessment completed at the end of the EYFS to provide a well-rounded picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities, attainment against the early learning goals (ELGs), and their readiness for Year 1.

The ELG’s that assessed are as follows:

To achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD), children must meet the expected standard in all areas of learning except Understanding the World and Expressive Arts & Design. Progress is reviewed during termly early years assessment meetings, where observations and pupil knowledge are discussed. Judgements are moderated with SLT to ensure consistency and accuracy, supported by DfE Exemplification materials - one of which we feature in. https://youtu.be/NtSTpie78xc

Further links about our EYFS curriculum at Horn’s Mill and useful EYFS documents are available below.

If you have any further enquiries relating to the EYFS curriculum, please email Mrs Davies (Reception Teacher/EYFS Lead) on adavies@hornsmill.cheshire.sch.uk.