Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
Welcome to our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum page.
Our experienced Early Years team has carefully developed an ambitious, exciting and immersive curriculum that challenges every child while responding to their individual needs. Thoughtfully planned play is enriched through purposeful enhancements and memorable experiences, supporting children to make the best possible progress.
We prioritise high-quality interactions and recognise that young children learn best through meaningful play and focused learning in small groups. Adult-led activities are therefore short, purposeful and carefully matched to each child’s stage of development. These activities are selected with care, drawing on approaches with a strong evidence base, including guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). We also use approaches that our experienced EYFS team has adapted and refined over time to meet the needs of our children.
Our curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills that matter most. Key learning is explored in depth, revisited and practised until it becomes secure and fluent. This ensures that children develop strong foundations, rather than encountering important concepts only superficially, and gain the confidence and independence they need to thrive throughout the EYFS and beyond.
Our approach is informed by evidence-based practice and is regularly reviewed and refined to ensure that children at Gwladys Street Community Primary and Nursery School receive the very best curriculum offer. Planning reflects common and anticipated interests, alongside the context, experiences and needs of the children in our school community.
We place particular emphasis on developing communication and language throughout the EYFS, recognising that these skills underpin learning, relationships and future success. To support this priority, we have carefully selected a range of programmes and ways of working that enable us to maintain the highest expectations and help every child achieve the greatest possible progress.
‘In play a child is always above his average age, above his daily behaviour, in play, it’s as though he were a head taller than himself ’Lev Vygotsky 1978.
EYFS Curriculum
At Gwladys Street Community Primary and Nursery School, we follow a bespoke EYFS curriculum developed by our experienced Early Years team. It is underpinned by the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and informed by the non-statutory guidance in Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters.
The EYFS curriculum separates learning into seven areas of learning:
The Prime Areas
Personal, Social and Emotional development.
Communication and Language
Physical Development
The Specific Areas
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Art and Design
Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage for group and school providers
Development Matters – Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage
Birth to 5 Matters – Non-statutory curriculum guidence for the Early Years Foundation Stage
Timetables
Nursery Timetable
Reception Timetable
Adult-Directed Teaching and Learning
At Gwladys Street Community Primary and Nursery School, we keep adult-directed teaching short, purposeful, and delivered in small groups wherever possible. This targeted approach promotes high levels of motivation and active engagement for our youngest learners. Here is an overview of out adult directed activities:
Discover the evidence behind our approach: visit the EEF website to learn why we have chosen to implement the Nuffield Early Language Intervention
Discover the evidence behind our approach: Visit the EEF webpage and The National Literacy Trust
Self-Registration
NELI-Preschool
Check in
NELI preschool
Outdoor Learning
Daily Story Time
Mathematics
Please click on the link to see our bespoke medium term plans below. These plans have been specifically designed to meet the needs of our pupils, allowing children to develop automaticity and a secure understanding of the foundational knowledge needed to thrive in Key Stage One and beyond.
Medium Term Maths Planning (Nursery)
Medium Term Mathematics Plan Reception
Continuous Provision
Book Focus on the Foundation Subjects
Communication and Lanaguge
All staff are highly trained, using strategies to enhance children’s thinking, communication and language. Children are supported to extended their knowledge and understanding through high quality interactions. Practitioners narrate and comment on children’s early play, extend and model correct sentences and add suitable questions to enhance children’s sustained thinking. These moments will often be unplanned spontaneous moments starting from the child. Additionally, we endeavor to close the vocabulary gap for the most disadvantaged children, changing life trajectories for these children. Our key texts are chosen because of the rich language they immerse the children with. Vocabulary development is carefully planned to ensure good coverage throughout children’s time in EYFS.
Outdoor Learning & Physical Development
Physical development is at the heart of our EYFS curriculum. Our dedicated outdoor environment is designed to build essential gross motor skills, risk confidence, and physical coordination. Children explore the outdoors every day, in all weather conditions, ensuring active learning takes place rain or shine. The curriculum is planned for both the inside and outside classrooms and equal importance is given to learning in both areas.
Assessment
We use Learning Journals to assess and track children’s attaintment and progress. This enables us to mointor coverage and ensure progression. We value parent contributions using this online platform to see what learning children are doing outside of the classroom.
Laying the Foundations for the National Curriculum
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, we strive to prepare every child to successfully engage with the National Curriculum in Key Stage One and beyond. Have a look at ways in which we prepare children by clicking on the links.
Useful Links for Nursery and Reception Parents
Liverpool Early Reading Pathway PowerPoint Presentation
WELLCOMM Support for Parents WellComm Early Years: Supporting language at home – GL Support
Words for Life by the National Literacy Trust Words for Life | National Literacy Trust | Words for Life
Bladder and Bowl Support Home – ERIC
Top Tips for Ditching the Dummy Tips for ditching the dummy | Toddler | Health for Under 5s
NSPCC Tips for Parents Look, Say, Sing, Play – Brain-building tips | NSPCC
Useful Links for Reception Parents
Read, Write Inc a guide for Parents Parent guide to Read Write Inc. Phonics – Oxford Owl
Nuffield Early Language Intervention for Parents Home | Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI)
Class Pages
For a more detailed and up to date view of what we have been learning, please visit our class pages.