Early Years Foundation Stage
At St Mary’s, our Early Years provision includes Nursery and two Reception classes, where children are welcomed into a safe, caring and inspiring environment. Every child is at the heart of what we do, and we ensure they feel happy, confident and excited to learn.
As a Catholic school, our Early Years is guided by our core values of faith, resilience and love, making sure every child feels valued, supported and able to flourish.
We are committed to giving every child the best possible start, building strong foundations for happy, curious and successful learners. Our curriculum is designed around strong relationships, inclusive practice and a secure understanding of how children learn and develop. The curriculum is carefully sequenced according to our skills progression to ensure children build knowledge, understanding and confidence step by step. It is ambitious for all learners and fully aligned with the statutory EYFS Framework.
Communication and language sit at the centre of our EYFS. We place a high value on oracy, vocabulary and rich first-hand experiences, recognising that strong language skills underpin learning across all areas. Children are immersed in a language-rich environment, where adults model high-quality talk, introduce ambitious vocabulary and encourage meaningful conversations. Through storytelling, role play, songs and talk-based activities, children are supported to listen attentively, express their ideas clearly and develop confidence in speaking.
Learning is designed through a balance of play-based exploration during Discovery Time and purposeful adult-led teaching, including high-quality phonics and mathematics. Experiences are thoughtfully planned across the Prime and Specific Areas of Learning, with a special focus on:
- Communication and Language
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Early Reading, Writing and Mathematics
By the time children leave our Early Years, they are confident, curious and resilient learners, ready to take the next step into Key Stage 1 with a love of learning and a rich vocabulary to support them.
Curriculum Intent
| Name | Format | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Files | |||
| EYFS Intent Implementation Impact statement.pdf |
EYFS Skills Progression
| Name | Format | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Files | |||
| St Marys Nursery Skills Progression.pdf | |||
| St Marys Reception Skills Progression.pdf |
Additional Information
| Name | Format | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Files | |||
| Early Learning Goals.pdf | |||
| Toilet Visuals.pdf | |||
| 50-Best-Books-2025-Poster-Preschool.pdf | |||
| 50-Best-Books-2025-Poster-Reception.pdf | |||
| Starting-Reception.pdf | |||
| Development Matters 3-4 Year Olds.pdf | |||
| What to expect in the EYFS.pdf |
