EYFS
The Reception year is a vital and transformative stage in a child's educational journey, providing the strong foundations upon which all future learning is built. Through high quality interactions, nurturing relationships and a carefully planned curriculum, we create an environment where every child feels valued, safe and inspired to learn.
Our provision is purposeful, engaging and responsive to children's individual interests and needs, enabling them to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence required for lifelong success. Rich indoor and outdoor learning opportunities encourage exploration, creativity, problem-solving and physical development, while fostering a love of learning through hands-on experiences. By igniting children's natural curiosity, we empower them to ask questions, investigate the world around them and become active participants in their own learning journey.
At the heart of our Reception provision is a commitment to celebrating every child's unique achievements. We recognise that children develop at different rates and we take pride in supporting each individual as they reach important milestones, building confidence, resilience and a strong sense of self-worth along the way. We strive to provide a broad and balanced curriculum that engages and inspires our children to be the best they can be. We promote the belief ‘children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers’ (EYFS – Statutory Framework 2021) – encouraging parents to be involved in their child’s learning. Online learning journals are used to inform parents of their child’s learning in school as well as encouraging them to share their home experiences with us too.
Children's mental health and wellbeing are central to everything we do. Through the delivery of myHappymind sessions, children develop essential life skills including self-awareness, emotional regulation, resilience and positive relationships. By supporting their emotional development alongside their academic learning, we help children to feel happy, secure and ready to thrive both in school and beyond.
Characteristics of Effective Learning
At Salterhebble, we recognise that understanding how children learn is just as important as what they learn. The Characteristics of Effective Learning are at the heart of our Reception provision and underpin every aspect of our curriculum, environment and interactions. By knowing each child as an individual, we can nurture their natural curiosity, interests and motivations, enabling them to become confident, independent and resilient learners.
Through opportunities to play and explore, children are encouraged to investigate, discover and take ownership of their learning. We promote active learning by fostering concentration, perseverance and a positive attitude towards challenge, helping children to develop confidence in their own abilities. By supporting children to create and think critically, we encourage them to make links in their learning, solve problems, share ideas and become thoughtful, reflective learners.
Our skilled practitioners carefully observe and respond to children's learning behaviours, using high-quality interactions and purposeful provision to extend thinking and deepen understanding. Whether learning indoors or outdoors, children are encouraged to take risks, explore new possibilities and develop the learning habits that will support future success.
We ensure that every child at Salterhebble is empowered to become an enthusiastic, motivated and capable learner, building the strong foundations needed for lifelong learning and achievement.
Early Years Statutory Framework 2021
The EYFS Statutory framework:
- sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well
- ensures children are kept healthy and safe
- ensures that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school
The framework is divided into seven areas:
Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving. These are the prime areas:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
All activities and experiences for children are carefully linked to the 17 Early Learning Goals with the aim to achieving them towards the end of their Reception year:
Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning
We encourage children to think carefully about the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning as mentioned in Development Matters 2021.
Three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:
- Playing and Exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
- Active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
- Creating and Thinking Critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things
