Our Intent

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the period of education from birth to 5 years. In our Partnership Foundation Stage Unit (PFSU) we have a purpose-built building for Pre School children and two reception classes. We work closely with other nurseries and preschools in the surrounding area.

At Bloxham Pre School:

The curriculum will be planned to recognise and build on what children know and can do, so that they may gain new knowledge and skills
We recognise every child as a unique individual, and we celebrate and welcome differences within our Pre School community.
We support children’s wellbeing and involvement to ensure all children can fully access the curriculum.
We provide enhancement opportunities to engage learning and believe that our first experiences of school should be happy and positive, enabling us to have a lifelong love of learning.

We intend to work in partnership with parents and careers and the wider community to encourage independent, happy learners who will thrive in school and reach their full potential from their own individual starting points.

We intend to understand and follow children’s interests and provide opportunities and experiences throughout our EYFS curriculum to support their learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge and ensure the children meet their next steps throughout their learning journey with us.

We intend to create a stimulating, safe, happy, healthy, and caring indoor and outdoor environment which supports children’s learning.

We intend to support children’s transition into reception.

Our Implementation

At Bloxham Pre School we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework and the Development Matters guidance. This framework specifies the requirement for learning and development in the early years. It provides the prime and specific areas of learning we must cover in the curriculum.

We have a curriculum that is child centered and is based upon ‘WOW’ experiences, interest and topics which engage the children. We encourage active learning to ensure that children are motivated and interested. We take time to get to know the children’s interests and their likes to support their learning. All areas of the EYFS curriculum are followed and planned to ensure there is broad balanced and progressive learning environment and curriculum.

Children will learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and demonstrate understanding through the seven areas of the EYFS curriculum:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive arts and design

We use these seven areas to plan children’s learning and activities and experiences. During each week, the children will work with an adult to complete at least 1:1 adult led task and a range of child-initiated tasks through both the indoor and outdoor provision.

A vital aspect in the development of essential knowledge and skills is the use of continuous provision.

Continuous provision practice begins in the EYFS and supports children to develop key life skills such as independence, creativity, innovation, and problem solving. This means that our children are using and developing taught skills throughout their time with us on a daily basis and will have the opportunity to work independently and together with their friends and staff.

We also plan for adult initiated activities to cover different areas of the EYFS curriculum which allow the children to develop their next steps in learning. Through our discussions and observations, areas of need and next steps are identified to ensure all children make good progress. We also provide a wide range of engaging and stimulating activities for the children to access independently and a variety of opportunities and experiences for child-initiated play. We regularly assess where the children are using ‘Development Matters’ (observation check points) and then ensure our planning, learning environment, adult interaction, continuous provision support our children to reach their next steps. If and when necessary, we will include small interventions for groups or individuals.

We know children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside. Our large joint outdoor area is used throughout the year and in most weather conditions. We ensure activities provide support for the Characteristics of Effective Learning to ensure learning takes place:

Playing & exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
Active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
Creating and Thinking Critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Our Impact

At Bloxham Pre School we strive to ensure that all our children’s progress across the EYFS curriculum is good from their varied starting points.

Key persons use their knowledge of their children and observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure all their children build on their current skills and knowledge at a good pace.

This is tracked using the Early Years Development Tool (EYDT) to ensure rates of progress are at least good for our children, including vulnerable groups, Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) and Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP).

We put supportive interventions in place if and when needed.

The impact of our curriculum will enable children to:

Have a sense of well-being and high self-esteem.
Become independent, resilient, and creative learners.
See themselves as learners and have a commitment to learn.
Have the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will make them valuable future citizens
Become ready for reception and have our preschool values embedded by the time they leave us, preparing them for the future.