Early Years Curriculum

The EYFS Curriculum at The John Bamford Primary School and Nursery

Our EYFS Curriculum has been designed to reflect the nature of our beautiful environment, the seasons of the year and the nature around our school. It aims to teach the children how their environment compares to other places, cultures, and nature in other parts of the world. It is therefore unique to The John Bamford Primary school.

Each adventure is included in the curriculum for very specific reasons and we want to ensure that all children leaving the Reception Year are ready to continue their journey into The John Bamford KS1 curriculum. Each adventure does not last a specific amount of time but is based on the children’s learning at the time, so a topic can run from anything between two and seven weeks. All the topics have resources and activities ready to use in the enhanced provision. Adventures are introduced with a good quality storybook or an age appropriate non – fiction text. Using books in this way teaches children that books and reading form the basis of all learning.

This ambitious Early Years curriculum aims to teach all children the skills and knowledge required to reach the seventeen Early Learning Goals described in the Early Years Foundation Stage. We teach through a range of teaching methods including child-initiated learning, whole class teaching, group teaching, investigations and problem solving together and independently. As many activities as possible are play-based; however, there is also a need for direct teacher-led activities to ensure children gain essential knowledge and skills from their teacher. All activities are modelled and children are given sufficient time, support and resources to repeat and practise them.

Personal Social and Emotional Development

We strive to enable children to be safe, happy and confident individuals. We also encourage self-regulation as much as possible and introduce rules and boundaries through modelling good behaviour and reflection time. We teach the children the Characteristics of Effective Learning through Mr Men characters in Nursery and Tots and dinosaurs in Reception. We introduce the characters at the beginning of the year. These values underpin our whole curriculum and teaching style throughout the Early Years. These values then follow on throughout the school.

Physical Development

Our enriching outdoor environment and grounds enable us to make the most of the outdoors and we encourage children to play outside as much as possible. Our intention is that children learn how to take measured risks and they are given access to our whole playground and outdoor nursery. We encourage children to learn about nature and look after their environment through regular welly walks around the local environment. In Nursery and Reception, children participate in Finger Gym/Dough Disco sessions, which allow the development of fine motor skills through completing fun activities to an upbeat song. Children are taught about the importance of regular exercise and healthy eating, and are encouraged to join in with whole-school sports initiatives such as school competitions.

Communication and Language

Children are encouraged to listen and communicate appropriately. We enhance the classroom and outdoor area to reflect the topic learnt. Each topic encompasses enhancements to the learning environment that include role-play areas, small-world play and story-scribing to encourage the children to act out scenarios and discuss concepts being learnt. This helps children learn and use new vocabulary introduced through the topics. Children are encouraged to ask questions and contribute to whole-class and group discussion whenever possible. Children who struggle to communicate are targeted in the provision and learning interventions are used when children lack confidence or do not have the age-appropriate skills.

Reading

We aim to teach children to read and develop a love of books as soon as they arrive at The John Bamford Primary Nursery and Tots, and books are used to teach topics and to enhance our whole curriculum. We follow a systematic approach to phonics teaching based on Letters and Sounds. Phonics lessons are taught daily for twenty-five minutes. In addition to daily phonics in Reception, children take part in reading individually with an adult and a reading book matched to their phonics ability is taken home every day. Children are also encouraged to take home age-appropriate books from the class library books in the reading corner; these are changed each half-term to reflect the different seasons, topics taught and children’s interests. Teachers read stories to children from high quality age-appropriate texts at every available opportunity. These books are then used to enhance the learning environment and reading area. Children who need extra help with phonics are targeted in the provision by key members of staff.

Writing

We introduce writing straight away, and teach handwriting alongside the phonics curriculum. Children are encouraged to write sounds, words, phrases then sentences within phonics, applying the familiar sounds they have learnt during the session. Story scribing is introduced to children in Nursery. This is where children tell a story for the adult listening to write. At some point within the session, the children will gather together to act the story out with their friends. As the children develop, children begin to hear the familiar sounds and then apply these within their story. By the end of Reception, children will independently write a story using the skills taught throughout Early Years. During the children’s time in Reception, they will be asked to complete ‘challenges’ which will be an independent writing activity celebrated within class. Children practise writing their name when they come into school in Reception. Letter formation is introduced in phonics lessons focusing on the handwriting families we follow within school. The children are provided with a range of pencils, pens, and other media to encourage them to write as much as possible. We hope to inspire children to write independently after they have been introduced to writing skills in their phonics sessions.

Mathematics

Children are taught maths through a shared adult input and application within the classroom activities. We also use maths enhancement activities in the different areas in the classroom, including the outdoors. The main aim of the maths curriculum is to teach children to be able to subitise numbers to ten automatically as soon as possible. We begin in Nursery by concentrating on numbers to five. In Reception, we introduce one number a week in the first term, with the aim that children have a better understanding of one digit numbers before they move on to place value, calculation and arithmetic later in the year. Children also learn shape, space and measure skills and knowledge through guided work and as activities in the enhanced provision. Children who need extra help with mathematics are targeted in the provision by key members of staff. In Reception, we like to have number sessions each afternoon where we practise correct number formation and play games focusing on applying our maths knowledge and skills for that week.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We strive to give children knowledge about the world around them at John Bamford and the rest of the world. Science is taught through most of our topics. For example, we observe ice in our Ice Age topic and investigate how ice melts and forms through real hands-on experiences. We are extremely fortunate to have a lovely outdoor area at our school. Staff are very knowledgeable about wildlife and plant species, and endeavour to pass this knowledge onto children at every opportunity. Our Living Things topic links particularly well to our nature walks, and we always have frogspawn hatching in our classroom as well as chicks hatching in Reception so that children are encouraged to see nature changing over time.

Geography is taught, including maps and countries of the world, through our Celebrations and Around the World topics. We take a trip to the beach during our Under the Sea adventure to observe and enjoy the environment, which is very different to life at our school. Similarly, we introduce the children to history learning through our Toys and Transport adventure. For example, we look at old and new modes of transport and how toys have changed over time. We teach RE throughout the year based on celebrations, including the story of Diwali, The Christmas Story and The Easter Story so that children are introduced to different beliefs and cultures.

Expressive Arts and Design

There is a buzz of music, dance and drama and John Bamford. We want children to sing songs, make music, dance and perform. We regularly have music playing and being performed within the setting and dances and performances taking place on our stages. Children are given time and are encouraged to play imaginative games and make up stories, songs and dances.

In art, the children are taught how to safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. We study artists and experience skills used by real artists. Child-initiated art activities are encouraged during continuous provision as well as art and crafts being taught by the staff. We endeavour that children leave Reception with good art skills, as well as encouraging them to use their own ideas and techniques in their art and design work.

Autumn Nursery

TOPIC	The Adventures of Mr Men	Autumn Adventures	Celebrations
Key texts	Starting Nursery stories Mr Men Books	The Treasure Hunt etc. – Nick Butterworth. Ferdie and the Falling Leaves The Prickly Hedgehog. The Gruffalo The Stickman	Non-fiction texts Range of Christmas stories Winnie the Witch Jack Frost
Outdoor Learning	Learning to respect the environment and follow boundaries	Practise putting on wellies Autumn sensory walk	Treasure hunt
Events and Themes	Harvest, Christmas, Diwali, Bonfire Night, Halloween, Remembrance, Children in Need, October – BLM
Mathematics	Recite numbers in order to 5 – through singing songs. Begin to explore 1-1 correspondence by movement of objects. Categorise objects big/large/little/small. Begin to talk about an arrangement making a pattern – leaf/conker/leaf. Begin to follow some instructions using positional language. Show an interest in shapes in the environment.
Phonics and Reading	Introduce sitting and listening skills. Develop awareness of sounds in the environment. Develop awareness of sounds made with instruments. Listen to and appreciate the difference between sounds made with instruments.
Writing	Drawing shapes to match characters from Mr Men books Letter to Santa. Christmas card. Recognising their name
Expressive Art and Design	Self portrait Showing emotions in drawings Mr Men shape pictures Kandinsky – shape pictures	Leaf printing, Colour mixing Nursery rhymes, Autumn sounds – rain makers, Firework printing/marble rolling, Leaf/vegetable printing	Christmas card Christmas crafts Christmas performance Christmas songs
Knowledge and Understanding of the World	Shapes in the environment Feelings	Seasons Observing changes over time How to care for the natural environment and living things	Learning about our own and other cultures. Significant Black figures - BLM

TOPIC	COEL - Achievosaurs	All Around Us	Celebrations
Key texts	The Dinosaur that Pooped Harry and the Dinosaurs go to school. Dear dinosaur Non-fiction dinosaurs	Maps/Google Earth Non-fiction local area Local websites	The Scarecrows Wedding Room on the Broom Rama and Sita Where the Poppies Grow The Gun Powder Plot The Christmas Story
Outdoor Learning	Putting on puddle suits Outdoor Nursery rules Being kind to the environment	Introduce surrounding areas of school Autumn walk Introduction to Woodwork	Natural Christmas decorations
Events and Themes	Visit Church for Harvest Festival, Visit library and gain a membership, Visit the vets, Children in Need, Bonfire Night Remembrance, Christmas, October – BLM, Diwali, Halloween disco
Mathematics	Numbers 1 – 10 including subitising numbers / number bonds. Days of the Week, 2D shapes, Seasons of the year, 3Dshapes, Counting forwards and backwards to 20
Phonics and Reading	Introduce Phase 2 sounds: satpindogmnckeurhbfl ff ll ss Reading and writing cvc words. Tricky words: I the to go no
Writing	Recognising and writing their names. Writing CVC words and a sentence. Label a picture (links to adventure). Writing a letter to Father Christmas. Christmas Cards. Can you write a sentence about a story? Re-Introduce story scribing.
PE	Gymnastics in the hall
Expressive Art and Design	2d shape Dinosaur printing.	Self-portrait, Research Andy Warhol style	Christmas card using shapes. Christmas decorations using patterns. Christmas songs
Knowledge and Understanding of the World	Share photos and memories from the summer Compare and contrast characters Feelings/emotions	Looking at maps, Family and familiar people – baby, family, local area photos (past and present) Seasonal changes	Nativity – Out of the Ark – The Nativity Significant Black figures – BLM Visit Santa Christmas around the world

Autumn Reception

Spring Nursery

TOPIC	People Who Help Us	Living Things	Celebrations
Key texts	Non-fiction texts	The Hungry Caterpillar, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Butterfly Dance The Gigantic Turnip, I am a Frog, Sunflower Cycle,	Easter Story Guess How Much I Love You The Great Race
Outdoor Learning – Welly Walks	Winter Walk Balancing	Going to see the frogspawn in Forest School Spring Walk	Treasure hunt
Events and Themes	New Year, Pancake Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, St Patricks Day, Easter, Red Nose Day, Mother’s Day
Mathematics	Know that numbers identify how many are in a set. Begin to separate a group of 3/4 objects in different ways. Subitising 1, 2. Find the odd one out with shapes. Count up to ¾ objects saying one number for each object to be counted. Begin to continue a pattern ABABA. Compare 2 groups saying when they have the same/different number. Show an awareness of similarities of shapes in the environment. Use language such as more/ ‘a lot’.
Phonics and Reading	Develop awareness of sounds and rhythms. Distinguish between sounds and to remember patterns of sound. Talk about sounds we make with our bodies and what the sounds mean. Experience and appreciate rhythm and rhyme and to develop awareness of rhythm and rhyme in speech. Increase awareness of words that rhyme and to develop knowledge about rhyme. Talk about words that rhyme and to produce rhyming words. Develop understanding of alliteration. Listen to sounds at the beginning of words and hear the differences between them. Explore how different sounds are articulated.
Writing	Drawing pictures of their families Recognising and writing their names
Expressive Art and Design	Junk modelling – fire engine and ambulance	Butterfly printing – mirror image	Kandinsky – shapes pictures Valentine’s Day craft Easter craft, Mother’s Day craft
Knowledge and Understanding of the World	Understanding the role of different jobs Dentists – Oral health Visit from fire engine, police, ambulance	Looking at our own families and creating a family tree, Planting cress and plant life cycle – how to look after plants, Healthy eating, The life cycle of a caterpillar, Herb and spices tasting	The Easter Story Chinese New Year Pancake race and making

Spring Reception

TOPIC	Ice Age	Growing Up	Celebrations
Key texts	Mr Men Adventures of the Ice Age Non-fiction – Ice, Arctic, Antarctic, Winter	The Little Red Hen Chicken Licken Non-fiction – chicks, life cycles Healthy Eating -Oliver’s fruit salad.	The Easter Story Mother’s Day story
Outdoor Learning – Welly Walks	Wellies on the right feet Winter walk	Spring walk – new life plants and animals Growing plants	Growing Mother’s Day presents
Events and Themes	New Year, Pancake Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, St Patricks Day, Easter, Red Nose Day, Mother’s Day
Mathematics	Numbers 1 – 10 including subitising numbers / automatic recall of number bonds. Days of the Week, 2dshapes, Seasons of the year, 3Dshapes, Counting forwards and backwards to 20 and beyond. One More and One less for numbers to 20. Calculation including addition and subtraction of one digit numbers. Doubling numbers and number bonds.
Phonics and Reading	Introduce Phase 3 sounds: jvyxz zz ch sh th ai ee igh oa oo ar oi ow reading and writing cvvc words. Tricky words: phase 2
Writing	Drawing pictures of their families. Writing CVC words and a sentence. Recognising and writing their names, Chick diaries, Valentine’s day, Easter, Mother’s Day cards. Write a list of ingredients to make pancakes. Story Scribing.
PE	Throwing and catching skills in the hall
Expressive Art and Design	Cave painting Ice painting	Self portraits Easter songs	Kandinsky – Valentine’s Day
Knowledge and Understanding of the World	Looking at different environments – similarities and differences Compare seasons Ice observations	How we have changed since the beginning of reception Chick life cycle Look at photos from the past/babies Making a fruit salad.	The Easter Story Church visit – places special to member of their community

Summer Nursery

TOPIC	Toys and Transport	Under the Sea
Key texts	Non-fiction texts	The Rainbow Fish Sharing a Shell
Outdoor Learning	Den building	Summer walk, Treasure hunt
Events and Themes	Father’s Day, Sports Day, Beach trip, Graduation
Mathematics	Begin to subitise small numbers, Begin to select the correct numeral to represent 1-5, Begin to order numbers to 5, discussing their position, Counts up to 5 objects counts an irregular arrangement , Begin to count beyond 5 saying one number name for each item, Begin to recite backwards from 5, Begin to use the language of weight Heavy/light, Begins to find the total of items in 2 groups by counting all of them
Phonics and Reading	Distinguish between the differences in vocal sounds, including oral blending and segmenting. Explore speech sounds, talk about the different sounds that we can make with our voices. Develop oral blending and segmenting of sounds in words. Listen to phonemes within words and to remember them in order in which they occur. Talk about the different phonemes that make up words.
Writing	Drawing pictures of familiar items Name writing
Expressive Art and Design	Car wheel painting Cutting pictures from catalogues Papier machier hot air balloons Transport mobiles	Fish collage Fish sun catcher
Knowledge and Understanding of the World	Exploring different materials and the properties of toys and cars How the different toys and cars work Forces, Space Holidays – maps and where they have visited Hednesford museum – toys Pictures of favourite toys	Difference of materials – beach – sand and water Sea life Water/ice

Summer Reception

TOPIC	Traditional Tales	Around the World
Key texts	The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Little Red Riding Hood, The Gingerbread Man, Jack and the Beanstalk.	Handa’s Surprise Non-fiction- different habitats and environments The Tinga Tales stories
Outdoor Learning	Summer walk
Events and Themes	Father’s Day, Sports Day, Beach trip, Transition to Year 1
Mathematics	Numbers 1 – 10 including subitising numbers / automatic recall of number bonds. Days of the Week, 2dshapes, Seasons of the year, 3Dshapes, Counting forwards and backwards to 100 and beyond. One More and One less of numbers to 20. Understanding place value in teen numbers. Calculation including addition and subtraction of one digit numbers. Doubling numbers. Halving numbers, odd and even numbers.
Phonics and Reading	Revising Phase 3 sounds: jvyxz zz ch sh th ai ee igh oa oo ar oi ow reading and writing cvvc words. Tricky words: Phase 3 and 4 Phase 4 – consonant blends – ccvcc words.
Writing	Recognising and writing their own names. Writing CVC words, sentences and extending sentences. Instruction writing. Father’s day cards, what are you looking forward to in year 1? Recount sports/ beach day. Story scribing. Writing a list for what we need to go to the beach.
PE	Sports on the field Sports Day preparation
Expressive Art and Design	Junk modelling the story characters, Role playing the story	Cultural music – How does it make you feel? African Art Stephen Njenga
Knowledge and Understanding of the World	Lives of characters – changes from the past	Comparisons of different environments – desert, jungle, city, beach – weather/people/jobs/cultures/religions Animals from around the world drawings. Beach visit EYFS Treat week - bouncy castle, ice cream van, McDonald’s