We are EYFS
“Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe, and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high-quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.”
(Statutory Framework for the EYFS)
At St. Martin's Primary School and Preschool we accept children from 2 years old.
Our EYFS is split into 2 classes:
Our Tiny Steps class is for children from 2-4 years, our Reception class is for children from 4-5 years, starting the September after they turn 4.
The Curriculum
We aim to support all children to become independent and collaborative learners. We will provide a broad and balanced curriculum that will enable each child to develop personally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, creatively and intellectually in order to fulfil their potential.
At St. Martin's Primary School and Preschool we will:
- Provide a happy, safe, stimulating and challenging learning opportunities.
- Promote independence from a young age to help your little ones develop their self care and confidence.
- Provide a broad, balanced, relevant and creative curriculum that will set in place firm foundations for further learning and development and encourage choice and decision making, independence and self-confidence.
- Value what each child can do, assessing their individual needs and helping each child to progress from their own starting points.
- Build relationships with parents and carers to build a strong partnership in supporting their children’s learning journey.
- Provide a caring and inclusive learning environment which is sensitive to the requirements of the individual child including those who have additional needs.
- Give all children the tools to communicate effectively by developing their language skills in a warm and welcoming environment.
Our EYFS Curriculum is designed to best prepare children for their ongoing learning journey at St. Martin's.
It has been designed to include all areas of the EYFS framework whilst also considering the particular small steps required for children to access our school's spiral curriculum from Year 1-6.
The EYFS framework includes 7 areas of learning and development that are important and interconnected.
The 3 prime areas are seen as particularly important for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and forming relationships and thriving:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
The prime areas are strengthened and applied through 4 specific areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
Characteristics of Effective Learning
In planning and guiding what children learn we reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust practice appropriately.
Three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:
- playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, they’re encouraged to ‘have a go’
- active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and are encouraged to enjoy achievements (however small they may be)
- creating and thinking critically - children have their own ideas and we encourage them to develop these ideas and make links between ideas, developing their own strategies for doing things.
Our Tiny Steps classroom:
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Our Reception classroom:
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Useful Websites for Parents:
Halton Local Offer
The Local Offer is a user-friendly website co-produced with and for children and young people with SEN and/or disabilities (SEND), their parents, carers and
professionals, providing information, resources and videos.
https://localoffer.haltonchildrenstrust.co.uk/
Halton’s Children’s Trust
This is a partnership of public and voluntary sector organisations working together to meet the needs of children and families in Halton.
https://haltonchildrenstrust.co.uk/
Tiny Happy People
Tiny Happy People is a BBC website for parents of pre-school children to help develop their child's language skills. It offers support for simple activities and play ideas, plus helpful information regarding babies and toddlers’ early development.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people