At St Ambrose Catholic Primary School, our Early Years provision includes both Preschool and Reception, where every child is welcomed into a happy, caring and nurturing environment rooted in our Catholic values.

We believe that every child deserves the very best start to their education. Our Early Years classrooms provide rich, engaging and stimulating experiences that encourage children to become confident, curious and independent learners. We recognise that every child is unique and develops at their own pace, and we work closely with families to ensure every child feels safe, valued and ready to flourish.

The experiences children have from birth to the age of five are incredibly important. During these early years, children develop the foundations for future learning, wellbeing and success, preparing them for a lifetime of learning.

In Preschool and Reception, we follow the Emmaus Catholic Multi Academy Company (MAC) Early Years Curriculum alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework.

Our curriculum has been carefully designed to provide children with meaningful learning experiences that build knowledge and skills progressively whilst nurturing a love of learning. Through a balance of child-initiated play, adult-led teaching and carefully planned continuous provision, children develop the confidence, independence and resilience they need for the next stage of their education.

Working in partnership with parents and carers, we ensure every child is supported to make excellent progress from their individual starting points.

Everything we do is underpinned by the four guiding principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage:

• Every child is unique – every child is continually learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
• Positive relationships – warm, trusting relationships help children feel secure and develop confidence and independence.
• Enabling environments – carefully planned indoor and outdoor environments inspire children to explore, investigate and develop their interests.
• Learning and development – children develop at different rates, and our curriculum supports every child, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), to achieve their full potential.

The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is organised into seven areas of learning and development.

Prime Areas

These are the foundations for all future learning:

• Communication and Language
  • Listening, Attention and Understanding
  • Speaking
• Physical Development
  • Gross Motor Skills
  • Fine Motor Skills
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Self-Regulation
  • Managing Self
  • Building Relationships

Specific Areas

These build upon the prime areas:

• 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

Alongside the curriculum, children develop the Characteristics of Effective Learning which help them become successful lifelong learners:

• Playing and Exploring – investigating, discovering and having a go.
• Active Learning – concentrating, persevering and taking pride in achievements.
• Creating and Thinking Critically – developing ideas, making links and solving problems.

These characteristics are woven throughout daily learning experiences in both Preschool and Reception.

Play is central to learning in our Early Years. Through carefully planned indoor and outdoor provision, children are encouraged to explore, investigate, create, imagine and collaborate with others.

Our skilled practitioners observe children's learning closely, using these observations to plan exciting next steps that build upon children's interests, challenge their thinking and support excellent progress.

We believe that parents and carers are a child's first and most important educators. By working in close partnership with families, we create a shared understanding of each child's development and celebrate every achievement together.

Our aim is that every child leaves Reception as a happy, confident and resilient learner who is well prepared for the transition into Key Stage 1, equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to continue their learning journey.