Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

At Boasley Cross Primary School and Nursery, we believe every child is unique and deserves the very best start to their educational journey. Our Early Years provision provides a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment where children are encouraged to develop confidence, independence and a lifelong love of learning. Through high-quality interactions, purposeful play and carefully planned experiences, we ignite children's natural curiosity and help them to become enthusiastic, resilient and self-motivated learners. Our approach is firmly rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and places the child at the heart of everything we do.

Learning Through Play and Exploration

We recognise that young children learn best through active exploration and meaningful experiences. Our learning environments, both indoors and outdoors, are carefully designed to inspire discovery, creativity and problem-solving. We follow children's interests and provide exciting opportunities that encourage them to question, investigate and deepen their understanding of the world around them. Through positive relationships with adults and peers, children develop the confidence to take risks, persevere with challenges and celebrate their achievements.

The EYFS Curriculum

Our curriculum is built around the seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS Framework.

Prime Areas

The prime areas are fundamental in supporting children's development and readiness for future learning:

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

Specific Areas

As children grow in confidence and capability, they develop their knowledge and skills through the specific areas:

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

All areas of learning are interconnected and are taught through a balance of child-initiated learning and carefully planned adult-led activities. 

Characteristics of Effective Learning

At Boasley Cross, we place a strong emphasis on developing the Characteristics of Effective Learning, as these are the foundations for successful lifelong learners. We encourage children to:

• Play and Explore – investigating, experiencing new things and having a go.
• Active Learning – concentrating, persevering and enjoying their achievements.
• Create and Think Critically – developing their own ideas, making connections and finding solutions.

These characteristics underpin all learning experiences and help children become confident, independent and reflective learners.

Continuous Provision

Our Continuous Provision is at the heart of our Early Years environment. Carefully planned indoor and outdoor spaces provide rich and meaningful opportunities for learning throughout the day, enabling children to access resources independently and apply new skills in a variety of contexts. Through high-quality continuous provision, children revisit and consolidate learning, follow their interests and develop greater levels of confidence, creativity and independence. Our environments are designed to ensure challenge, progression and engagement for every child.

Read Write Inc.

At Boasley Cross Primary School and Nursery, we teach early reading and phonics through the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme. We believe that reading is the key to unlocking future learning and that every child should develop the skills and confidence to become a successful reader and writer.

Children begin developing early communication, language and phonological awareness skills within our nursery before embarking on Read Write Inc. phonics learning in Reception. Through daily, systematic phonics teaching, children learn to read fluently, develop a love of books and build the strong literacy foundations they need for future success. Where additional support is needed, targeted interventions ensure that every child can progress and achieve their full potential.

Working in partnership with families, we strive to ensure that every child leaves our Early Years setting as a happy, confident and capable learner, ready for the next stage of their education and excited about the opportunities ahead.