EYFS
At Sandbach Primary Academy we are passionate about providing the best possible start to every child’s education. We ensure that our Early Years provision gives children a solid foundation from which to build and is key to ensuring that all children develop positive learning behaviours; that they become curious, active and creative in their thinking; that they are confident to engage in their learning and proud of their achievements. The individual needs, interests and development of each and every child is at the heart of our EYFS.
It is our intent that all of our children leave the foundation stage with the skills, attitudes and attributes that they need to continue their learning journey into Key Stage One. As a result, we have a carefully planned, multi-layered approach to the children’s learning experience, which is led by their interests and through their play and independent exploration. A strong focus on oracy, use of high-quality texts linked to the children’s interests and experiences, a wide range of opportunities to learn about the world around them at local, national and global level, alongside the careful and structured teaching of phonics, reading, writing and maths gives the children solid foundations for the next stage of their education. We also teach the children the importance of looking after their bodies through healthy eating, good dental care, and by being physically active.
Our Early Years staff are dedicated to providing an environment that supports every child’s personal, social and emotional development, so that they feel cared for, safe and secure, and therefore ready to learn. Staff relationships and interactions with the children are of a high quality and are responsive to individual needs and interests. Through adult modelling and guidance, the children are supported to develop a positive sense of self, develop their resilience and become independent learners.
We know that parents and carers are a child’s first educators and because of this we are dedicated to building firm, supportive and reciprocal relationships with them so that we can work together to ensure that all of our children reach their full potential.
The Educational Programme for the EYFS is set out in the EYFS Statutory Framework that the government sets out for all early years providers. This details the seven areas of learning and development (Educational Programmes), which are all equally important and inter connected – three prime areas (communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development), four specific areas (literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive arts and design). Please click here to read the Framework in full.
At Sandbach, we use the Development Matters document as guidance for our practitioners to help them implement the educational programmes in the statutory framework. In addition to this we use guidance from EY2P consultants and Master the Curriculum to support our mathematical learning. We use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all areas of learning and development. We have carefully designed our curriculum to ensure that the content, sequencing and progression in the areas of learning are secured, so that the children develop, consolidate and deepen their knowledge, understanding and skills. It has been designed to challenge children and ensure that they are fully prepared for the next stages in their learning. Alongside this the children are given a wide variety of experiences to enrich and enhance their learning.