Throughout EYFS at Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, we follow the Early Years Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, updated in March 2021 by the DFE. The framework informs us of the requirements for learning and development in the Early Years and provides us with prime and specific areas of learning we must cover in our curriculum.

At Stella Maris we deliver a curriculum that is child centred and allows for those wonderful experiences which invite the children to become active, independent learners who are motivated and interested. We take time to learn about the children and their interests in order to support their learning. All areas of the curriculum are taught progressively and the children are provided with ample opportunities to learn new skills, gain new knowledge and demonstrate an understanding through the seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Children in EYFS learn so much through exploration, play, being active, being creative and being given the chance to become critical thinkers, both indoors and outdoors. Teaching and learning staff provide stimulating and ever changing learning environments which encourage early language development. Learning is celebrated through displays which support current learning and allow the children to take ownership and pride in their achievements. Our outdoor area is used all year round and staff ensure that all activities support the Characteristics of Effective Learning.

All children perform in a Nativity, are celebrated in our weekly celebration assembly, participate in whole class assemblies as well as school trips. They are visited by a number of people who help us in the community. They plant bulbs and seeds, watch them grow and eat their produce. They cook different foods, celebrate other religions and have a Year Six Buddy. To support our wider curriculum, we provide many opportunities for parents and carers to come into school and work with their child, share their work and celebrate their wonderful success. We keep parents informed of their child’s learning with weekly newsletters, allowing them to support their child at home and to help us ensure that the children are happy and doing their very best. We also provide parent workshops, parent and child prayer breakfasts, reports, emails to inform of ‘wow’ moments etc.

We also support the children with their transition into Year One for both child and parents. We prepare the children with visits to their new classroom, meeting their new teacher and ensuring that the environments are inviting. We also provide transition books to those children that need them. 

At Stella Maris we continue to strive to ensure that all of our children’s progress across the whole EYFS curriculum is good from their different starting points. We work really hard to also ensure that the children reach their Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception and evidence from the Children’s Learning Journeys support all of the above areas of the EYFS curriculum. We track pupils achieving age related expectations throughout the academic year, allowing us to put interventions in place if and when they are needed. The class teachers continually make observations to make formative assessments which help with planning and making sure that the children continue to build on their prior knowledge and skills at a good pace.