“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
This verse highlights the importance of building strong foundations, and guiding children with purpose, nurturing their curiosity, and instilling a lasting love of learning.
Our Vision
At St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, our vision for the Early Years Foundation Stage is to nurture the whole child through an inclusive, inspiring and language-rich curriculum that builds strong foundations for lifelong learning. We strive to create a joyful, engaging environment where every child feels valued, confident and curious, developing resilience, independence and positive relationships. Through a well-sequenced, play-based and discovery-rich curriculum, grounded in high-quality interactions, purposeful provision and responsive teaching, we prioritise the prime areas of Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development, while enriching learning through literacy, mathematics, creativity and real-world experiences indoors and outdoors. Our approach, rooted in our Catholic centred virtues and school values, ensures all children, including those with SEND, make strong progress from their unique starting points, developing the character, skills and knowledge they need to thrive in Key Stage 1 and beyond, equipping to them to be the best they can be.
What does EYFS look like at St. Joseph’s?
At St. Joseph’s, our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum provides a nurturing, inclusive and inspiring start to school life, where every child is supported to thrive, explore and develop a love of learning. Designed around the EYFS Statutory Framework, and supported by Strong Foundations and Development Matters, our curriculum is purposefully planned to be the launch pad for their developing their learning in both the Prime and Specific Areas.
Prime Areas – these foundational areas are vital for building strong relationships and supporting children’s overall growth. They are embedded throughout all aspects of our teaching, learning and provision:
Communication and Language (CL):
- Listening, Attention and Understanding
- Speaking
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED):
- Self-regulation
- Managing Self
- Building Relationships
Physical Development (PD):
- Gross Motor Skills
- Fine Motor Skills
Specific Areas – these areas help spark children’s curiosity and support their emotional, intellectual, and physical development:
Literacy:
- Comprehension
- Word Reading
- Writing
Mathematics:
- Number
- Numerical Patterns
Understanding the World:
- Past and Present
- People Culture and Communities
- The Natural World
Expressive Arts and Design:
- Creating with Materials
- Being Imaginative and Expressive
Our approach to Phonics, Mathematics and Language Development
To provide strong foundational learning, we use a systematic synthetic phonics program, Unlocking Letters and Sounds (ULS), which is designed to help children become fluent and confident readers. Our phonics lesson extend beyond the daily 20-minute sessions and are woven throughout our reading scheme, group reading activities, handwriting practice, daily intervention, and opportunities for dictated sentences. To further support and enhance our curriculum we deliver Talk Through Stories, a structured approach designed to engage children as aspirational readers, helping them develop enhanced language, rich vocabulary, and strong comprehension skills. This ensures children build a love of stories and are well-prepared for more formal literacy learning in the summer term as they transition confidently into Year 1. We asses for each child’s unique starting point in order to support their language development, meeting their individual needs using the WellComm screening tool. Complementing this, we also offer Early Talk Boost sessions.
For mathematics, we have implemented the Mastering Number program, a progressive curriculum focused on developing strong number sense, fluency in calculations, and flexibility with numbers. This program in conjunction with White Rose for Shape, Space and Measure, ensures children gain deep and confident understanding of maths while enhancing their vocabulary.
Fostering Creativity and Exploration
We are committed to fostering creativity and exploration in our learners, providing them with wide and varied inventive and real-world learning experiences. Through hands on activities, storytelling, role play, junk modelling, construction, tinkering table, wild kitchen, potions kitchen, woodwork, music, movement, imaginative small world play to real-world experiences, such as observing nature, participating in workshops, or engaging with visitors, our children are motivated to explore ideas, take risks, and develop resilience. As practitioners we scaffold learning thoughtfully, balancing adult-led guidance with child-initiated inquiry, ensuing every child’s interest and strengths are valued.
Preparing for MyProfile GLD: Our Curriculum’s Key Outcome
At St. Joseph’s, our EYFS curriculum is intentionally designed to support every child in working toward MyProfile GLD (Good Level of Development) by the end of reception. GLD is a government benchmark that reflects the level of development children are expected to achieve across key areas of learning, ensuring they are ready to move on to Key Stage 1 with the foundational skills and knowledge they need for future academic success.
The aim of the MyProfile GLD is to ensure children are well-rounded in both the Prime and Specific Areas of the EYFS curriculum. Achieving GLD demonstrates that a child is not only academically ready but also socially and emotionally equipped for the next stage of their learning journey. Our curriculum is designed to help each child make strong progress across all areas, giving them the tools they need to thrive as they move forward in their education.
However, it is important to note that not every child will achieve GLD according to government standards. What matters the most is the individual progress each child has made during their time in Reception from their starting point. Every child develops at their own pace, and even if they don’t meet the GLD benchmark, we celebrate the huge strides they will have taken in their learning and personal growth.