“Inside every child is a rainbow waiting to shine.”
- Frederick Douglass
Our Commitment
At English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality education and childcare in our Early Years Foundation Stage. We understand that every child learns and develops at their own pace. Our goal is to meet each child’s individual needs, helping them reach their full potential and fostering a love of lifelong learning. We create a safe and happy environment with fun and engaging learning experiences, encouraging children to become confident and independent.
Our Goals
Our EYFS curriculum is designed to give all children the opportunities and experiences they need to develop positive attitudes and succeed as learners and in life. We understand the challenges many of our pupils face and focus heavily on Personal, Social, and Emotional Development and building communication skills in Nursery. Once these foundations are in place, we focus on other areas.
We aim to:
- Foster excellent attitudes to learning through effective and timely interactions.
- Create a stimulating environment that allows children to repeat and consolidate their learning.
- Encourage independence and confidence.
- Capture and nurture children's interests to foster a love of learning.
In Reception, we focus on preparing children for the next phase of school, particularly developing early reading skills and phonics.
How We Teach
We recognise that children learn in different ways and at different rates. This understanding helps us plan next steps and enhance our provision. At the end of Reception, we provide a summary to Year 1 teachers to inform them about each child's learning style and progress.
Our curriculum develops effective learning characteristics:
- Playing and Exploring: Children investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’.
- Active Learning: Children concentrate, keep trying when they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements.
- Creating and Thinking Critically: Children develop their own ideas, make connections, and develop strategies for doing things.
We use various resources to support the curriculum, including Development Matters, the EYFS Framework, Pathways to Write, White Rose Maths, Mastering the Curriculum, Read Write Inc Phonics, To Know You More Clearly (the Religious Education Directory), Tapestry, and Kapow Curriculum schemes.
High-quality teaching and learning are achieved through team planning centered around children’s individual needs and interests. Our staff are experts in phonics and create enthusiasm for reading and a love of books. Parents are involved in their child’s learning through workshops, information leaflets, and reading sessions.
A comprehensive maths curriculum is embedded through continuous provision. All children, including those learning English as an additional language, can participate equally. Staff ask questions that encourage deeper thinking, extend language use, and make connections to embed new learning. Regular opportunities are planned to reinforce new learning and check understanding.
Assessments and Interventions
We conduct purposeful assessments and interventions to improve outcomes for children. We provide a safe, stimulating, and secure environment and regularly reinforce messages about staying safe and healthy.
By the end of the Foundation Stage, most children read accurately and begin to develop fluency. Their vocabulary and understanding of language are strong, and most achieve early learning goals, especially in maths and literacy, showing high achievement from low starting points. Our creative, stimulating environment helps children flourish into confident, motivated, and independent learners who are ready for the next stage of their education.
Our EYFS staff attend regular training and progress meetings to ensure each child makes progress. We meet the individual needs of every child, including disadvantaged, SEND, and EAL pupils, through a broad and balanced curriculum.