Early Years Foundation Stage

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves."

Romans 12:10

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) - Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent

At Aspull Church Primary School, we place children and their wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. Our Early Years curriculum is designed to provide a secure, nurturing and inspiring foundation for future learning and development. We aim to develop confident, resilient and creative learners through a curriculum that is meaningful, engaging and tailored to the needs and interests of our children.


Guided by our mission statement, “We shine like stars to achieve and make a difference in the world, knowing that with God all things are possible,” we embed our core Christian values of faith, hope and love into every aspect of school life. These values shape how we learn, behave and build relationships.


We celebrate each child as a unique individual and foster an inclusive environment where differences are valued. Our curriculum is underpinned by our core values:


  • Faith – developing a strong sense of belief, trust and understanding in themselves, others and God
  • Hope – encouraging optimism, aspiration and a belief in achieving their full potential
  • Love – promoting kindness, respect, empathy and positive relationships within our school community


We work closely with families, nurseries and pre-school settings to ensure a smooth and consistent transition into school life.

Implementation

At Aspull Church Primary School, we follow the statutory EYFS Framework. Our practice is shaped by four guiding principles:


  • Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning
  • Children learn through positive relationships
  • Children thrive in enabling environments
  • Children develop at different rates


Our curriculum encompasses seven areas of learning:


Prime Areas:


  • Communication and Language
  • Physical Development
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development


Specific Areas:


  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design


Learning is delivered through a balance of child-initiated play and adult-led teaching, ensuring both structure and creativity. Our environment is carefully planned to be stimulating, challenging and responsive to children’s interests and developmental needs.



We place strong emphasis on the Characteristics of Effective Learning:


  • Playing and Exploring – investigating and experiencing
  • Active Learning – concentrating, persevering and achieving
  • Creating and Thinking Critically – developing ideas and making connections


These characteristics underpin all learning and inform our teaching and assessment.


Our curriculum is enriched through high-quality schemes such as:


  • Sounds-Write for phonics
  • White Rose Maths for mathematics
  • SCARF for PSHE


Planning is flexible and responsive, allowing staff to adapt learning to children’s interests and emerging needs. Strong partnerships with parents ensure a holistic understanding of each child, celebrating learning both in and out of school.

Impact

Our goal is for every child to get the best possible start in life and leave Reception with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to thrive in Key Stage 1 and beyond.

Assessment is ongoing and forms an integral part of teaching and learning. Staff use observations, interactions and recorded evidence to inform next steps and provide appropriate support and challenge.


We use a range of tools to capture progress, including:


  • Arbor 
  • Observations 
  • Individual English and maths books
  • Floor books
  • Learning journey books


At the end of EYFS, each child is assessed against the Early Learning Goals, alongside the Characteristics of Effective Learning, to create a comprehensive profile of their development.

Regular moderation, professional development and pupil progress meetings ensure consistency, accuracy and high expectations across the EYFS team.


Through our carefully designed curriculum, we nurture children to become happy, kind, respectful and responsible, with a love of learning and a strong sense of self-belief. We empower them to recognise their potential and embrace the opportunities ahead, living out our vision:


“We shine like stars to achieve and make a difference in the world, knowing that with God all things are possible.”