Early Years Foundation Stage - Nursery and Reception (ages 3-5)

For the children starting school it is the beginning of an exciting and inspiring journey; this begins in our Nursery and Reception classes which together form the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Children gain confidence and thrive in a warm, friendly and nurturing atmosphere where they feel secure and valued.

Through a specialised play-based curriculum we plan for a rich learning environment which provides opportunities, both indoors and outside, for the children to flourish in all aspects of their development.

Specialist teaching begins from an early age and our Early Years children enjoy weekly music, PE and swimming lessons (in our on-site pool) from Nursery onwards. Children also experience a weekly Forest School session given by our Forest School Leader. The aim of these sessions is to provide children with opportunities to learn through exploring the environment and developing an awareness of the natural world, in a way that is both fun and meaningful.

Outdoor educational visits are ongoing throughout the year, and include destinations and activities as broad and varied as, for example, a farm, watching a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra and finding out about growing at a garden centre.

Key Stage 1 (ages 5-6)

In Year 1, our children cover all National Curriculum subjects, building on the skills, knowledge, understanding and experience gained during their time in Nursery and Reception. We begin the year learning through play in our new continuous provision classrooms. These have been carefully designed to provide ample challenge and progression from the foundation stage, but also to continue to inspire the children through hands-on learning experiences. As the year progresses, children are gradually introduced to further formal learning opportunities, providing a gentle and nurturing transition into Key Stage 1.

In Year 2, our children are well prepared to work in more traditional style classrooms, however we do continue to encourage children to work in teams, question and discover in all areas of the curriculum. We set high academic expectations focused on the key skills of Reading, Writing and Numeracy.

We value opportunities for the children to learn outside, and children in Key Stage 1 are very fortunate to continue to have access to our Forest School site. Children in Year 1 cover most of their Science curriculum in their weekly Forest School lessons and Year 2 are able to visit the site each term to enhance their learning.

Homework is set once each week in KS1. In Year 1, children are provided with a grid of topic-based challenges to complete each half term. They are also given a weekly Maths challenge and spelling list. In Year 2, the children are provided with a slightly larger piece of work each week, covering a range of subject areas across the year. Children in Year 2 continue to receive a weekly spelling list and begin to learn their times tables.

The creative and expressive arts are very important to us. Our specialist Music lessons support the children to prepare for a number of exciting performances across the year. We support the children to explore their creativity in a range of exciting ways including woodwork, junk modelling, specialist dance lessons and a range of musical workshops across the year.

The children also have weekly lessons with subject specialists in Swimming and PE, making use of the extensive grounds and equipment on offer to the wider school. This prepares them well for the wider specialist teaching in Key Stage 2 and beyond.