Early Years Milestones - Our Curriculum

Intent:

Our Curriculum in Early Years has been carefully created to ensure children build upon previous knowledge in a sequence of learning which aims to develop each child holistically. 

In Nursery and Reception, staff have utilised their vast knowledge of child development and build an 'expected' curriculum plan for the learners in our setting called our 'Milestones'. We then use this milestones document to inform half termly medium term plans of the learning opportunities we are providing that support your child in reaching these milestones. 

These milestones outline the expectations of learning in our setting and clearly state:

• What the children should have learnt to do;

and 

• when they should have learnt it by.

Implementation

Using our milestones curriculum practitioners carefully break down the milestone achievements. Medium Term plans are then completed half termly and document the activities and learning opportunities planned as building blocks to support children in progressing towards each milestone. These plans also take into account children's interests, parental input from home, significant events and wider whole school learning. We implement a progressive sequence of traditional tales and nursery rhymes to ensure children get a solid start in their literacy journey. Phonics is taught using Little Wandle, a validated systematic synthetic program, beginning with 'Foundations for Phonics' in Nursery. Maths is planned in a sequence of learning, promoting mastery in number, numerical pattern and shape. 

Our learning is child led and each learning environment offers continuous and enhanced provision which centres around our children's interests and fascinations. 

Impact

Using our milestones document we are able to carefully track and assess the impact of our provision on children's learning across all areas of the EYFS. In Early Years we have highly skilled staff with extensive child development knowledge, which enables us to act quickly upon our assessments to adapt provision and tailor our learning opportunities to each individual cohort. 

If practitioners' knowledge indicates that a child is working below the expected standard at any point in the year, then planned and spontaneous interventions are carefully designed to help every child catch up.

These interventions may look like this:

• NELI (Speech and Language intervention - Reception)
• Speak out (Speech and Language intervention - Nursery)
• Play-doh therapy (Intervention for Speech and Langauge and Personal, Emotional and Social Development)
• Ginger (Personal, Emotional and Social Development intervention)
• Pindora's Box (Physical Development intervention)

Staff are highly trained in delivering effective interventions in partnership with parents to support any child who may need a little extra.