EYFS
Our curriculum intent
We believe that a broad and balanced curriculum is fundamental, not only to personal and social development, and our British Values, but also to our ability to understand, evaluate, dissect and disseminate knowledge to those around us.
At Chapel-en-le-Frith C of E Primary School, it is our intent that we will instil a passion and enthusiasm for learning in every child. With this at the core of our values, we will provide each child with the opportunity to explore the world around them and widen their experience and imagination through a rich and varied curriculum. We promote our Cultural Capital by providing the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said, and helping them to develop an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.
We want our children to leave Chapel-en-le-Frith C of E Primary School as confident, independent and happy learners that are equipped for life’s opportunities and challenges. As a church school, we will provide the children with the opportunity to explore faiths by invitation.
In the Early Years, our children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. We offer a blended approach of both adult-led and child-initiated learning. Staff respond to each child’s emerging needs and interests, guiding their development through warm, positive interactions. We teach children by ensuring challenging, playful opportunities across both the prime and specific areas of learning. We recognise that all children develop and learn at different rates and so our EYFS curriculum is designed flexibly to meet the needs of all individuals. We support individual learning through our skilful interactions and observations which lead to thorough next step planning. The Characteristics of Effective Learning underpin our curriculum and pupils’ learning; through an enabling and well planned environment we ensure we provide meaningful opportunities for playing and learning, active learning and creating and thinking critically. As children utilise and develop these characteristics they become effective and motivated learners who demonstrate high levels of well-being and involvement.
We recognise that the environment plays a significant role in supporting children’s learning and development and so our indoor and outdoor spaces are designed to promote high levels of involvement and learning. Well-planned, high-quality continuous provision provides for children with familiar and consistent areas and resources that are open ended and flexible, promoting all aspects of learning and development. We provide stimulating and challenging enhancements that give children new experiences and support new learning. To enable children to participate in “risky play” we ensure that both adults and children are involved in processes of assessing risk/ benefit. Our environments are created to reflect and respond to children’s predictable and specific needs and interests. Our daily routines are designed to provide sufficient time for children to become engrossed in self-initiated activity.
Our greatest resources are the adults who have a good understanding of child development, support children’s autonomy, and are reflective and evaluative. Sensitive and skilful adult-child interactions focus on extending thinking, broadening communication and introducing challenge. Warm, authentic relationships between all staff and the children are a priority. We use observation assessment effectively to be responsive to the children’s needs and interest, ensuring that all children make progress from their starting points. Our adults utilise a range of strategies to ensure that the teaching is developmentally appropriate, varied and stimulating. All staff recognise the importance of modelling skills, learning behaviours and high expectations.