EYFS
Welcome to EYFS at Coleridge Primary School!
In EYFS at Coleridge, we provide the ideal start for children aged 2 to 5 years old to develop their confidence as a playful, motivated and independent learner, within a safe and caring, yet challenging, vibrant and enriching setting.
Our school’s core values: Aspire, Desire, Believe, Achieve are firmly embedded in our daily routine; as we encourage the children to be risk takers and set ambitious goals that they want to achieve, support them to believe they can do it and then celebrate their success when they achieve it.
We believe that an environment where children feel valued and can grow in confidence, helps them to feel happy, settled and secure. Our child-centred approach aims to support each child to develop holistically and at their own pace. We provide an enabling environment, with a focus on promoting communication and language skills, whilst ensuring that learning is engaging and enjoyable.
Learning happens through investigation, exploring and immersive, hands-on experiences within a play-based curriculum. We ensure that we expose to children to a wide range of experiences during their time with us to support their knowledge and understanding. To support the children to achieve their own goals and to make outstanding progress during their time in EYFS, we ensure that there is a good balance of direct teaching and child-led play in a purposeful high quality environment which supports and extends their learning. We have high expectations of all children and set challenging but achievable challenges and always encourage them to try their best. They are provided with many, varied opportunities to develop and we nurture their confidence so that they can all make positive steps towards achieving their potential.
We value the importance of the outdoor environment, ensuring that children have the opportunity to learn about the world around them, in a natural and safe space. Children are allowed to take managed risks, which both supports their growth and allows them to become critical thinkers, and confident, independent learners.
We prioritise staff development to ensure all staff are highly trained and skilled professionals, who care passionately about the children’s education and well-being.
Curriculum
“The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.”- EYFS Framework 2023.
In EYFS we believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life to enable them to achieve their full potential. We know that children quickly develop in the early years and that a child’s experiences between birth and 5 years have a major impact on their future life chances. At Coleridge Primary we ensure all children access high quality teaching and learning to gain knowledge and develop the skills needed to be successful learners in EYFS and beyond. We ensure that all children make good progress and that they gain a secure foundation by planning for the learning and development of each individual child and continually reviewing the impact of this.
Our curriculum has been designed by planning carefully thought out skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children at Coleridge Primary School for all of the 7 areas of learning. We used the EYFS framework (view framework) and Development Matters (view document) to give us a base for our learning and then considered other knowledge and skills based on research that we know are important for our children to plan an ambitious and exciting curriculum to ensure our pupils are engaged and enjoy learning and therefore make fantastic progress.
We ensure that children are exposed to a good balance of direct teaching and learning through play. In EYFS we use carpet time to deliver direct teaching sessions for all areas of learning. We also use objective-led planning to target certain objectives and to ensure that children are always challenged and that their thinking and knowledge are extended. We use assessments and our knowledge of the children to plan continuous provision and enhancements which will support the children to learn and develop in all 7 areas of learning. We analyse our assessments regularly to identify areas of learning that the children need more support with and then saturate the environment with opportunities for the children to develop these skills both through direct teaching within the environment from an adult and independently through play. Our environment is key to children’s development. Adults model how to use the areas effectively and use sustained shared thinking to extend children’s learning and thinking and to model learning behaviours.
Our curriculum allows children to develop and learn knowledge and skills in the following areas:
Prime areas:
- Communication and language
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Physical development
Specific areas:
- Literacy
- Maths
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Art and Design
Communication and Language
Communication and language are at the heart of our curriculum at Coleridge Primary School. We value these key skills as they are the foundation upon which all other learning is built. Without strong communication and language abilities, children would struggle to access other areas of the curriculum, which is why we place such a strong emphasis on developing these skills from the earliest stage.
At Coleridge, we ensure that children make rapid progress in communication and language by embedding it within everything we do. It is a core focus in both adult-directed and child-initiated activities, with carefully planned opportunities for children to practise and refine their skills throughout the day. We support children in developing a rich vocabulary, expressive language, and active listening skills through a balance of structured teaching and meaningful interactions in their play and daily routines.
We also provide additional opportunities to extend children’s communication skills, including time for conversations during snack time, Helicopter Story sessions where children orally tell their own stories and then act these out, Babblejab, which supports children to develop vocabulary and confidence in speaking. and Poetry Basket which helps children to learn and recite poems, building memory, rhythm, and fluency in their speech.
In addition, we create a language-rich environment where children are exposed to high-quality conversations with adults following the ShREC approach, peer interactions, and a wide range of stories, songs, and rhymes. Through sustained shared thinking and purposeful dialogue, our staff model effective communication, encouraging children to articulate their thoughts clearly, ask questions, and engage in discussions. This focus on communication ensures that children are confident, capable communicators, able to express themselves and interact meaningfully with the world around them.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
At Coleridge Primary School, we recognise that Personal, Social, and Emotional Development (PSED) is central to a child’s well-being and success in the early years and beyond. Our PSED curriculum is designed to help children develop self-confidence, manage their feelings, and build positive relationships with their peers and adults. We focus on nurturing a strong sense of identity, encouraging children to understand and express their emotions, while also developing empathy and respect for others.
Our curriculum supports children in learning how to work collaboratively, resolve conflicts, and develop key social skills in a safe, inclusive environment. Through structured lessons following the Jigsaw scheme, play, and consistent adult guidance, children are encouraged to build resilience, independence, and a positive attitude towards learning. We also emphasise emotional literacy, helping children to articulate their thoughts and feelings confidently.
Children are supported to develop self-regulation skills, understand boundaries, and make positive choices in their interactions. This holistic approach ensures that every child is prepared for the challenges of learning and socializing, laying a strong foundation for their future education and personal development.
Physical Development
At Coleridge Primary School, we understand that Physical Development is vital for children’s overall well-being and their ability to engage with all areas of learning. Our Physical Development curriculum is designed to help children improve their coordination, control, and movement through a range of engaging and challenging activities. We aim to develop both fine and gross motor skills, ensuring children gain confidence in their physical abilities.
Children at Coleridge participate in a variety of activities that encourage physical growth, from structured lessons such as PE to daily outdoor play and exploration. We also provide opportunities for children to develop their fine motor skills through activities like mark-making, cutting, and threading, which are crucial for early writing and other tasks requiring precision.
We place a strong emphasis on teaching children about the importance of physical health and self-care, including the value of exercise, a balanced diet, and good hygiene. By fostering these habits early on, we ensure that children are equipped with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and maintain their physical well-being.
Our nurturing environment and tailored activities allow children to explore, experiment, and enjoy physical activity, ensuring they develop the strength, coordination, and confidence to thrive both physically and academically.
Literacy
At Coleridge Primary School, Literacy plays a crucial role in developing children’s early reading and writing skills, laying the foundation for their future learning. Phonics is a key component of our literacy curriculum, helping children to decode words and become confident readers. In Nursery, children are taught important pre-phonics skills to ensure they have secure foundations to be ready to learn to read in Reception. We use have used the Super Sounds Programme to plan an engaging and ambitious pre-phonics skills curriculum.
In Reception, children begin learning to recognise the set 1 single letter sounds following the Read Write Inc scheme, as soon as they start Reception. They also learn how to blend these sounds together to read words and then sentences. The RWI scheme allows for rapid progression, ensuring that children move through the stages of phonics with confidence. More information about how phonics is taught at Coleridge can be found in the RWI section of our website.
Beyond phonics, we place a strong emphasis on fostering a love of reading. Each week, we focus on a carefully selected core story in both Nursery and Reception, chosen for its rich language and engaging narrative. These core stories are used throughout the week in teaching sessions, with repetition helping children internalize the vocabulary, structure, and meaning of the stories. In addition to these core texts, children are regularly exposed to a wide range of books and stories through daily story time sessions where we share our favourite five books, and special events such as character visits and dress-up days. For more information about reading in EYFS, please see the Reading in EYFS page.
We also provide plenty of opportunities for children to practise their emerging writing skills, with activities that encourage mark-making, letter formation, and early sentence writing. In Nursery, we use our Story and Rhyme Time sessions to model and encourage mark making and in Reception, we ensure children are eager and motivated to write and are achieving their goals and next steps in relation to writing through our Drawing Club lessons. Our goal is to create confident readers and writers who are not only proficient in literacy skills but also develop a lifelong love of books and storytelling. Through our carefully structured and engaging literacy curriculum, we ensure that children leave EYFS well-prepared for the next step in their educational journey.
Maths
At Coleridge Primary School, we aim to inspire a love for maths in every child and develop their confidence as mathematicians. Our maths curriculum is built on the principle of having high expectations for all, ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to build a strong foundation in number sense. This foundation allows them to approach mathematical problems with confidence, curiosity, and resilience.
Our approach to teaching maths is grounded in research, with teachers regularly accessing high-quality professional development to refine their practice and deepen their understanding of how children learn maths. This reflective approach helps ensure that our teaching methods evolve and improve, enabling children to grasp mathematical concepts more thoroughly.
Maths is integrated into all aspects of the day at Coleridge. In addition to focused direct teaching sessions where key concepts such as counting, number recognition, and problem-solving are taught, we enhance our learning environment with activities and resources that allow children to practise and extend their skills. Whether through play, using manipulatives, or through structured tasks, children are given the time and support needed to explore mathematical ideas in a hands-on, meaningful way.
We also embed maths into daily routines, encouraging children to engage with mathematical concepts throughout the day. Tasks like self-registration, voting for story time, and counting during tidy-up and snack time all provide natural opportunities for children to practise counting, comparing quantities, and understanding sequences.
At Coleridge, we encourage mathematical reasoning and rich mathematical talk. Children are supported by adults to explain their thinking, reason through problems, and explore multiple ways of solving a challenge. We use stem sentences to scaffold mathematical discussions, helping children articulate their ideas clearly and confidently. This emphasis on reasoning helps children develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts, laying a solid foundation for future learning.
Through our carefully planned and engaging maths curriculum, we ensure that every child leaves EYFS with the skills, confidence, and enjoyment needed to continue their mathematical journey with enthusiasm and success.
Understanding the World
At Coleridge Primary School, we provide children with the opportunity to explore and make sense of the world around them through our Understanding the World curriculum. This area of learning encourages curiosity and inquiry as children investigate their surroundings, learn about people, places, technology, and the environment. By engaging with diverse topics, we help children develop the foundational knowledge and understanding that will support their future learning in subjects such as history, geography, and science.
Our curriculum is designed to give children hands-on experiences that foster a sense of wonder about the natural world and the past.
In our learning linked to History, we begin by helping children understand their own personal history and family, moving towards learning about significant historical events and figures. Through storytelling, role play, and looking at pictures and artefacts, children begin to grasp concepts like “past” and “present.”
In our learning linked to Geography, children are introduced to different environments, learning about their local area as well as contrasting regions of the world. They explore maps, identify features of the natural world, and learn how environments vary depending on location. We also help children begin to understand how communities around the world live, celebrating differences in culture, homes, and traditions.
In our learning linked to Science, children engage with key concepts such as seasonal changes, the properties of materials, and life cycles. They observe and discuss changes in the weather and learn to name and describe animals, plants, and their habitats. Through exploration and simple experiments, children develop an understanding of basic scientific ideas, such as how water freezes or what plants need to grow.
We also ensure that children develop technological skills, using tools like iPads and interactive whiteboards to support their learning. This helps them become familiar with modern technology while also developing problem-solving skills.
Through this rich and varied curriculum, we ensure that children build a solid foundation in understanding the world, developing their curiosity, critical thinking, and knowledge about their community, the environment, and the wider world.
Expressive Art and Design
At Coleridge Primary School, we believe that creativity is essential to a child’s development, and our Expressive Arts and Design curriculum provides the space for children to express themselves through various artistic forms. This area of learning encourages children to explore and engage with art, music, dance, role play, and design, allowing them to develop their imagination, creativity, and critical thinking skills.
Our curriculum fosters an environment where children are encouraged to experiment with different artistic techniques such as drawing, painting, and sculpture, using various materials and tools. They are introduced to key artists and styles, helping them learn about how art can be used to express feelings, tell stories, and reflect different cultures. For example, children are taught to create self-portraits and explore famous works of art, like those of Pablo Picasso.
In music, children participate in singing, rhythm activities, and playing simple instruments. They are encouraged to listen to and create music, helping them understand concepts such as beat, rhythm, and melody. Through group activities like role play and drama, children develop their ability to collaborate and communicate their ideas, often drawing inspiration from stories and themes in the curriculum.
In design and technology, children use their imagination to create structures, models, and products, often linked to themes in their learning. Whether it’s building houses for a fairy tale or constructing models of space rockets, children are given the opportunity to plan, create, and evaluate their designs, fostering problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Overall, our Expressive Arts and Design curriculum allows children to explore and express their thoughts, feelings, and creativity through a variety of mediums. By providing them with the freedom to experiment and innovate, we nurture their artistic abilities and ensure they build confidence in expressing themselves creatively
Please see our Progress Models for more details about the skills and knowledge that we have carefully planned out for some of these areas of learning for the children at Coleridge to be taught in EYFS in order to be ready to access the next step in their education, Year One.
Please see our long-term plans to see when these skills and knowledge is taught during the year in our bespoke curriculum for children at Coleridge.
Little Explorers- Nursery (3-4 year olds) -Long Term Plan 2024-2025
Confident Adventurers- Reception (4-5 year olds) Long Term Plan 2024-2025
Assessment in EYFS
EYFS Baseline
What is the EYFS Baseline?
All children in Reception participate in the reception baseline assessment (RBA) within the first 6 weeks of starting Reception. The purpose of the assessment is to provide the starting point for a new measure that will help parents understand how well schools support their pupils to progress between reception and year 6.
The baseline assessment is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, communication, language and mathematics skills when they begin school, using materials that most children of your child’s age will be familiar with. It became statutory for all schools from September 2021.
The baseline assessment is not about judging or labelling the children or putting them under any pressure. Children cannot ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ the assessment. Its main purpose is to create a starting point to measure the progress schools make with their pupils.
Please see the attached leaflet for more information:
EYFS Profile
What is the EYFS profile?
The EYFS profile is sometimes known as the early years profile or EYFSP. It summarises a child’s attainment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is when they finish Reception. In September, the child will then move into key stage 1 as they enter year 1.
The EYFS profile summarises a child’s attainment against the early learning goals. There are seventeen early learning goals (sometimes shortened to ELGs) across all the Areas of Learning. The early learning goals are the goals or targets that children are working to achieve by the end of F2. The goals cover a range of skills that children will have been learning and practising throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage. You can see a list of the early learning goals here: How will the profile be completed?
Reception teachers will use their knowledge of what each child knows, understands and can do in order to decide the outcomes presented in the profile. They will also take into account the views of other people, including parents and carers, other members of staff and other agencies, such as childminders or speech and language teachers.
For each of the seventeen early learning goals, children will be awarded an outcome.
This will be either:
- ‘Emerging’ – meaning that the child is not yet reaching the expected level
- Expected’ – meaning the child has reached the expected level
These outcomes will be shared with the child’s parents/carers and their year 1 teacher. Remember, there is no need to worry if your child is given an emerging level for one or more of the goals. Children develop at different rates and the main purpose of the profile is to provide support for each child at the correct level as they continue through the school. The main purpose of the EYFS profile is to help create a smooth transition into year 1. The profile results will be shared and discussed with the child’s year 1 teacher to enable them to plan activities to meet the needs of all children in the class and to develop an understanding of each child’s needs.
Please see the EYFS Profile handbook for more information:
Learning to read- Phonics
In Nursery, children are taught important pre-phonics skills to ensure they have secure foundations to be ready to learn to read in Reception. We use have used the Super Sounds Programme to plan an engaging and ambitious pre-phonics skills curriculum.
In Reception, children begin learning to recognise the set 1 single letter sounds following the Read Write Inc scheme, as soon as they start Reception. They also learn how to blend these sounds together to read words and then sentences. Please see the phonics section of our website for more information (link to phonics page on our website)
Growing a love of reading
In EYFS, we know how important it is to promote and grow a love of reading. Reading and high quality books are embedded in everything that we do. Children are exposed to a variety of books throughout each day.
In EYFS, we teach Literacy using the Drawing Club approach developed by Greg Bottrill. In Drawing Club, we have a book of the week which allows children to get to know it really well. Children are taught vocabulary from the book and listen to the story each day. We also have mapped out high quality books to teach all other areas of learning including Maths, PSED, UTW and EAD.
We also have our Favourite Five books in each year group, which we use for our voting for story time each day. The children vote for which of the Favourite Five stories they would like to be read to them that day. This means that they are exposed to the same five stories during this session over a half term, which means that they get to know them really well.
Reading at home
Read Write Inc Book Bag Books
In F2, once children have been taught to recognise the sounds in school, children will begin to bring home a Read Write Inc Book Bag Book. These are books for children to read to a parent or carer to practise applying the phonics skills they are learning in school.
Dream Reads
Dream Reads are high quality stories for parents and carers to read to their children at home to expose them to a wide range of vocabulary and to continue to grow a love of reading at home. There are 30 different high quality story books for each year group, which have been carefully chosen, for children to borrow and take home so that you can snuggle up and enjoy a bedtime story! These stories are also available as a video below.
Here are the Dream Reads for F1:
Youtube Links
All in One Piece – Jill Murphy
Avocado Baby – John Burningham
Bright Stanley – Matt Buckingham
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? – Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle
Click Clack Crocodiles Back – Kathryn White and Joelle Dreidemy
Each Peach Pear Plum – Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Giraffes Can’t Dance – Giles Andreae
Hippo has a hat – Julia Donaldson & Nick Sharratt
Snakes on a train – Kathryn Dennis
I don’t want to go to bed – Julia Sykes & Tim Warnes
Kipper’s Snowy Day – Mick Inkpen
Kitchen disco – Clare Foges & Al Murphy
Mini Monsters – Caryl Hart & Tony Neal
Mog the forgetful cat – Judith Kerr
Oi Dog – Kes & Claire Gray & Jim Field
Red Rockets and Rainbow Jelly – Sue Heap & Nick Sharratt
Slowly, slowly, said the sloth – Eric Carle
Thank you for the little things – Caryl Hart
The Wobblysaurus – Rachel Bright & Chris Chatterton
Walking through the Jungle – Julie Lacome
We’re going on a bear hunt – Michael Rosen
Where’s my teddy? – Jez Alborough
Who’s in the loo? – Jeanne Willis & Adrian Reynolds
Here are the Dream Reads for F2:
Youtube Links
Alan’s Big Scary Teeth – Jarvus
Are you there Baby Bear? – Catherine Walters
Burglar Bill – Janet & Allan Ahlberg
Can’t you sleep little bear? – Martin Waddell
Elmer and the lost teddy – David McKee
Five minutes peace – Jill Murphy
Lost and Found – Oliver Jeffers
Monkey puzzle – Julia Donaldson
Mr Gumpy’s Outing – John Burningham
Mrs Armitage on wheels – Quentin Blake
Pattan’s Pumkin – Chitra Soundar
The Crocodile who didn’t like water – Gemma Merino
The Dodos did it – Alice McKinley
The Night Pirates -Peter Harris
The rainbow fish – Marcus Pfister
We’re going to find the monster – Malorie Blackman
Winston was Worried – Pamela Duncan Edwards
Yucky worms – Vivian French
In Autumn 1, we are learning about ‘What makes me special?’, ‘How do people celebrate Birthdays?’ and ‘What happens in Autumn?
Each half term we will send home a Curriculum Newsletter to tell you what we will be learning during the half term and how you can support you child at home.
You can find this half term’s Curriculum Newsletters here:
What are we learning this half term in Tiny Discoverers- Nursery (2-3 year olds)?
Tiny Discoverers- Nursery (2-3 year olds) Curriculum Newsletter
What are we learning this half term in Little Explorers- Nursery (3-4 year olds)?
Little Explorers- Nursery (3-4 year olds) Curriculum Newsletter
What are we learning this half term in Confident Adventurers- Reception (4-5 year olds)?
Confident Explorers- Reception (4-5 year olds) Curriculum Newsletter
At the start of each half term, we will send home a curriculum newsletter where you will find details about what your child will be learning in school, so that you can support the development of these skills and knowledge at home too.
Please find this half term’s Curriculum Newsletters below:
Little Explorers- Nursery (3-4 year olds) Curriculum Newsletter
Confident Adventurers- Reception (4-5 year olds) Curriculum Newsletter
Reading Learning at Home- For more information, please see the Reading in EYFS tab
Dream Reads
In Nursery and Reception, children will bring home a Dream Reads book. Dream Reads are carefully selected, high-quality storybooks chosen to expose children to a rich variety of vocabulary while nurturing a love of reading at home. Each year group has a collection of 30 beautifully curated books that children can borrow and enjoy with their family. We encourage you to snuggle up and share these stories together, especially as a bedtime read! Video versions of these stories are also available below. Please record every time you read one of our Dream Reads books or other books that you have at home with your child in their reading record.
Ruth Miskin Portal Video Links
To further support your child’s phonics learning, we will share links on Class Dojo to Ruth Miskin video tutorials. These videos can be watched alongside your child to reinforce the phonics lessons they are receiving in school. Please record when your child has watched the videos at home in their reading record.
Read Write Inc Book Bag Books
In Reception, once children have learned to recognise key sounds in school, they will start bringing home Read Write Inc Book Bag Books. These books are designed for children to read with a parent or carer, helping them to practise and apply the phonics skills they’re developing in school. Every time your child reads their phonics book to you, please record this in their reading record.
Maths Learning at Home
Throughout the year, we will be offering Mastering Number workshops for parents and children to attend together. These sessions will introduce you to a variety of engaging maths games, specifically designed to help children reinforce the skills they’ve learned in school in a fun and interactive way.
Additionally, we recommend several websites to support your child’s learning at home:
- Tiny Talkers Rotherham: Activities to do at home to support your child’s communication and language- https://tinytalkers.co.uk/parents-carers/
- Phonics Play: Engaging phonics games for your child to enjoy- https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/
- Cosmic Kids Yoga: Fun yoga sessions for children linked to storytelling- https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga
- Numberblocks: Watch episodes of Numberblocks and play educational games on the website- https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08bzfnh/numberblocks
- Topmarks: Access a variety of fun educational games for your child- https://www.topmarks.co.uk/
We encourage you to upload photos and comments about your child’s engagement with these activities on Class Dojo, as we love to celebrate their home learning experiences. Please feel free to share any additional learning your child does at home, even if it’s not a specific task assigned by their teacher.
Thank you for your ongoing support in your child’s learning journey!
