Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

At St Nicholas Primary School, children who are in Reception year at school are in our Badger Class.  Here we follow the EYFS Statutory Framework. The curriculum covers 3 prime areas:

• communication and language
• physical development
• personal, social & emotional development

and 4 specific areas:

• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding of the world
• expressive arts and design

Children learn through their experience of a wide range of play-based activities, using both the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  Through continued observation, activities are planned and resourced to develop children’s knowledge and experiences.  The staff in Badger Class support, guide and assess children and modify the provision of activities to meet children's needs. Our well-resourced EYFS learning environment and extensive enclosed outdoor area allows children to develop their independence and interests on both large and small scales.  All resources are clearly labelled and accessible for children to choose their own learning on a daily basis.

Children are introduced to reading through daily teaching of phonics using DfE Letters and Sounds, sharing books and stories in class sessions and twice weekly individual reading using specific reading scheme books, which are taken home daily.  Children are also encouraged to learn high frequency words by sight and these words are sent home to practise a set at a time.  Only when children can read the words by sight are the next set of words sent home.  

At St Nicholas Primary School we introduce children to key mental arithmetic skills and encourage them to practise these skills at home.

The children in Badger Class have access to wet weather clothing, so our exciting outdoor area can be used at all times, either running on the grassed area, playing at the mud kitchen, digging in the mud area or building with crates and tyres in our building area.  We regularly use our wet weather clothing when exploring the rest of the school grounds on school walks, where we enjoy exploring the wild area, wooded area and pond area.  We also enjoy the grounds in the warmer weather where we enjoy taking shelter from the sunshine under the willow tree.

Each term, the children enjoy a newly set up role play areas in our outdoor treehouses, which usually link to our topic for the term.  In the past we have enjoyed an ‘Under the Sea’ theme, a ‘Spaceship’, ‘The Three Bears Cottage’, a ‘Farm Shop’, ‘Father Christmas Workshop’ plus many more.  

Mrs Kate Hedges

EYFS Subject Leader