Here at Robert's Primary we recognise that every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child's experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure and happy childhood is important in its own right. High quality early learning and good parenting together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.
To implement our EYFS curriculum we begin each new year by looking at the individual needs of our children and take into account their different starting point to develop our curriculum which enables them to follow the path of their learning journey, at a point, that is suitable for their unique needs and stage of development.
Four guiding principles shape our practice, these are:
Unique Child: Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
Positive Relationships: Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
Enabling Environments: Children learn to develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
Learning and Development: The EYFS framework includes 7 areas of learning and development that are equally important and inter-connected. However, 3 areas known as the 'Prime Areas' are seen as particularly important for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building children's capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.
The Prime Areas are:
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
The Prime Areas are strengthened and applied through 4 Specific Areas:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design
Characteristics of Effective Learning: Interlinked with these subject areas are the children's characteristics of learning which we support and help develop by providing children with opportunities to initiate ideas and activities so that they can develop the learning characteristics which are assessed by the EYFS profile.
The following Characteristics of Effective Learning are:
Playing and Exploring
Active Learning
Critical Thinking
