At St. Michael’s Catholic Primary Academy and Nursery, we believe that all learning should be child-centred and based on the needs, experiences and interests of the children in our care. Our curriculum in the Early Years is shaped to ensure every child is stimulated and challenged with a variety of fun, engaging experiences. Young children should be given time to grow in a safe and structured environment that allows them to develop at their own pace, in an atmosphere that offers nurture and security. Our school provides opportunities for children to take risks in their learning and have a go, to investigate, to question and to develop a sense of interest and curiosity. In the Early Years, play is the most important aspect through which children learn.

Our Early Years Curriculum

At St. Michael’s Catholic Primary Academy and Nursery, we aim to provide a stimulating, enriched broad and balanced curriculum that allows every child to reach his or her full potential socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. We believe that each child is an individual with individual needs and that all of their achievements should be valued and shared. We work hard to ensure that learning is a rewarding and enjoyable experience in which children can explore, investigate, discover, create, practise, rehearse, repeat, revise and consolidate their developing knowledge, skills and understanding.

Our Early Years teachers plan from the EYFS statutory framework. This framework sets the standards that schools must meet to promote a safe and healthy environment where children can learn and develop, promoting a ‘school readiness’ that provides the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

The curriculum lays out the standards for Learning, Development and Care for children from birth to five. As stated in the Framework ‘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.’

Here at St Michael’s, we believe that it is our responsibility to serve our children and provide them with the best possible start in their journey of education.

Areas of Learning

We adhere to the Statutory Framework of the EYFS and the characteristic principles that shape practice within Early Years settings:

  • 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; and
  • creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

The curriculum focuses on 7 Areas of Learning within the Foundation Stage. Each of these have Early Learning Goals to be achieved by the end of the Reception year. Playing and exploring underpin the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The children are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities which are either child initiated or adult led.

These consist of 3 Prime Areas, which underpin the whole of the EYFS curriculum:

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Communication and Language
  • Physical Development

The other four Areas of Learning are known as the Specific Areas:

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design

Characteristics of Effective Learning

To learn well, children must approach opportunities with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm. Effective learning must be meaningful to a child, so that they are able to use what they have learned and apply it in new situations. These abilities and attitudes of strong learners will support them to learn well and make good progress in all the Areas of Learning and Development. Here at St. Michael’s we strive to embed the Characteristics of effective learning to support our children in reaching their full potential. We encourage the children to be Achievers! and through play, they become effective and motivated learners. We have 7 characteristics all together, each linking to an aspect of the Characteristics of Effective Learning. The aim is to encourage the children to remain effective and motivated and give them the appropriate language to be able to explain the skills they use while learning.

At St. Michael’s we encourage our children to:

Be an EXPLORER, explore everything around me – Playing and Exploring

Be an ASKER, ask questions and find things out – Playing and Exploring
Be a TRYER, try my best and never give up – Active Learning
Be STICKY, stick at tasks and persevere – Active Learning
Be PROUD, show pride in work/activity – Active Learning
Be a SOLVER, work hard to solve problems. – Creating and Thinking Critically
Be a THINKER, think carefully about what I learn. – Creating and Thinking Critically

At St Michael’s we believe passionately that learning should be challenging, creative and fun. So, all elements of our broad curriculum (academic, non-academic, religious, extra-curricular and pastoral development) are regularly reviewed to check that topics and themes are as exciting as we can make them, whilst ensuring that all children make good progress in all areas of learning.

Please see our EYFS curriculum map for themes/topics to be explored throughout the year. Further information is available on request from the school office.