Wolvercote primary School
Early Years Curriculum
Aim
At Wolvercote, the Early Years Team work in close partnership with parents to support children to learn and develop as confident, happy and inquisitive individuals who enjoy their learning.
It is our aim to provide children with engaging experiences and learning opportunities through our rich indoor and outdoor learning environments, our topic-based learning and through the strong relationships that are built between all children and staff.
The Early Years Team place a strong emphasis on supporting children to develop their social, play and communication skills which underpin their success across life and the curriculum. Children meet their next steps through a range of planned and child led learning opportunities that are meaningful to them. This enables them to reach deep and secure levels of understanding across the Early Years Curriculum.
Through our environment, ethos and curriculum, we intend that our children…
- develop positive attitudes towards learning and challenge.
- build independence, self-awareness, self-motivation, self-assurance and resilience.
- engage in ‘hands on’, practical, collaborative learning which enables them to develop and embed knowledge.
- develop personal, social and communication skills through our language rich environment and our strong focus on conversation, collaboration and stories.
- learn through a range of meaningful and engaging contexts and opportunities
- make excellent progress from their individual starting points.
- have frequent opportunities to learn and explore in the outdoors, developing respect and appreciation for the natural world.
- challenge themselves physically through play.
At Wolvercote, children learn during child-initiated play as well as during planned adult-led learning opportunities. Children take part in whole class, small group, and one-to-one adult-led learning. Our timetable enables children to build independence through making choices, to explore and to become deeply engaged in self-chosen, hands-on play and learning during ‘Discovery Time’. Staff support children to interact and learn during this time, placing a strong focus on developing children’s language and personal social skills and supporting children to achieve their next steps across the curriculum.
The Early Years curriculum covers 17 aspects of learning. These are taught within 3 prime areas of learning and 4 specific areas of learning. Skills developed through the 3 prime areas underpin development in the specific areas.
The 7 main areas of learning each contain different aspects of learning.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development | -Self Regulation |
Physical Development | -Gross Motor Skills |
Communication and Language | -Listening, Attention and Understanding |
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Literacy | -Comprehension |
Mathematics | -Number |
Understanding the world | -Past and Present |
Expressive arts and design | -Creating with Materials |
What to Expect, When?
A document called ‘What to Expect, When?’ offers guidance for parents and carers related to children’s learning and development in the Early Years. Please click on the link below to view this document.
At Wolvercote, children are encouraged and supported to develop characteristics of effective learning and a growth mindset.
