EYFS Curriculum
Intent
Children can start their learning journey at Ann Cam from two years old. At the centre of everything we do is our vision: Deeply rooted and flourishing together. We pay attention to the roots that have already started to grow and build upon this, helping children to truly flourish from their stage of development and learning. The journey children have already been on before joining us, starting at birth, is vitally important as children come to us at different points in their journey and we recognise that learning isn’t always linear.
As an example, when looking at physical development, children can join us at different stages of development. Some children may be confident in rolling and kicking a ball, however, may find using their fine motor skills more difficult. At Ann Cam we meet the children where they are at and build upon these foundations.
Our Golden Threads (What Our Children Need)
Improving children's emotional literacy through:
- The Zones of Regulation programme which enables children to understand the reactions emotions can cause in their bodies and provides them with a toolkit to be able to manage/regulate their emotions.
- In the moment intervention and teaching around emotions. For example, conversations when a child's emotions are heightened to help them to understand and manage.
- High quality texts that open up conversation around emotions.
Improving children's speech, language and communication through:
- Ensuring a language rich environment that is purposeful and thought through. For example, vocabulary in the classroom is planned for and progresses with widgit symbols to scaffold for children that need.
- Enriching children's vocabulary through high-quality interactions with adults. For example, ‘Is the sand just sandy? Or is it gritty and rough?’
- Ensuring high-quality and relevant interventions which all staff are well trained and knowledgeable in. For example, the NELI programme.
Implementation
At Ann Cam, our intent is implemented through our curriculum planning, observation and assessment. We follow the 2024 EYFS Statutory Framework, where learning is split into three prime areas and four specific areas.
The Three Prime Areas:
Communication and Language
As one of our golden threads, we recognise that good language and communication skills enable children to succeed in many other areas. Therefore, we focus on high-quality interactions between practitioners and children to ensure that vocabulary is rich. This could be through roleplay, storytelling and careful questioning. We intervene quickly. Intervention focuses on a variety of needs, from structuring sentences to English interventions for children using it as an additional language. The early intervention in the foundation stage ensures that children flourish in all areas throughout their schooling.
Personal, social and emotional development:
As another one of our golden threads, we have ensured that our environment, relationships with adults and our curriculum ensure that each children has the room and time to flourish personally and emotionally. At Ann Cam we follow the Zones of Regulation curriculum that helps children to express their emotions and problem solve. For example, a child would be able to recognise they were feeling angry, which meant they are in the red zone. They would then be able to recall some strategies (cuddling a teddy, listening to calming music, talking about their feelings etc) to ‘get out’ of the red zone and back into the green zone, which is calm, happy and ready to learn.
Physical development:
We invest in children's physical development in early years and beyond at Ann Cam. Our environment and enhancements enable to develop their gross and fine motor skills. Through careful guidance from adults, children progress physically by developing core strength, stability, balance, awareness, co-ordination and agility. At Ann Cam we are fortunate to have external sports coaches, including gymnastics, cricket, tennis and swimming teachers. We have our own school pool, and our aim is for children to swim four days a week for seven days of the year.
The Four Specific Areas
Four specific areas help to build our EYFS core learning. Click here for more information.
The Four Guiding Principles
Taken from the 2024 Early Years Statutory Framework, there are four principles which shape our practise and are at the forefront of our minds every day. Click here for more information.
Planning and Assessment
Planning and assessment is vital to our everyday successes. Please click here for more information
Impact
All that we do in our Early Years settings ensures for individuals who have a love of learning, are self-assured and happy. We will see through assessment that children have made progress from their baseline. We aim to see that barriers to learning are reduced and children understand their next steps in their learning journey. We will see children who are curious about the world around them and ask questions. Children will have a love of reading, enjoying stories and learning more. Children have a growth mindset when problem solving in mathematics and in life. We will see that children are confident physically and emotionally.
