Welcome to Year R

 

Class Teachers:

Mrs Anna Harmer 

Mrs Lambert  

Learning Support Assistants:

Mrs Leach

PE days:

PE is on a Tuesday and Friday and children will need to wear PE kit into school on these days.

Notices:

Children change their phonics (learn to read) books on a Thursday and their library (love to read) books on a Friday.

Please ensure your child has their book bag and reading folder in school every day.

 

ETHOS IN YEAR R

Curdridge Primary School’s Early Years provision is centred on creating a welcoming, nurturing and inclusive environment where every child feels safe, valued and ready to learn. As a small, nurturing school, we place great importance on fostering a strong sense of belonging and community, where every child is known, cared for and recognised as an important part of our school family. We want our children to develop into caring, confident, polite, proud, supportive and successful learners, while building the independence and resilience they need to thrive.

Through positive relationships, purposeful play, exploration and rich learning experiences, we encourage children to have a go, make choices, solve problems, look after themselves and their belongings, and take responsibility for their learning and the classroom environment. We nurture positive relationships, encouraging children to show kindness and respect, support one another and celebrate each other’s successes. We want every child to take pride in who they are, what they achieve and their role within our school community, understanding that they are valued members of our school family.

Above all, we aim to nurture a lifelong love of learning and a natural sense of curiosity. We want every child to feel confident to explore, ask questions, try new things, learn from mistakes and celebrate their achievements. Through a strong sense of belonging, encouragement and shared experiences, we strive to ensure that every child feels happy, capable, independent and proud of how far they have come. We want our children to leave the Early Years excited about the next stage of their learning journey, equipped with the confidence, resilience and positive relationships they need to flourish, and with a lasting sense of belonging and pride in being part of Curdridge Primary School.

 

OUR APPROACH IN EARLY YEARS

At Curdridge, we are proud to provide our children with a safe, nurturing environment where they can thrive as individuals. This forms the foundation for achieving our Recipe for Success. Our Curdridge core values — caring, confident, polite, proud, supportive, and successful — guide our school community every day, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to flourish.

Our dedicated team believes passionately in providing an exciting, hands-on, and captivating curriculum that responds to the needs and interests of our children. We continually reflect on the changing world and the impact it has on our pupils, making thoughtful adaptations and enhancements to our learning environment to ensure it remains rich and engaging.

Our bespoke curriculum is largely play-based, with skilled adults joining children in their play to move learning forward in a friendly, stimulating, and purposeful way. Alongside this, we offer short whole-class and small-group sessions to teach specific skills and knowledge.

At Curdridge, we understand the importance of a child’s first year at school. We create a warm, nurturing environment that allows each child to flourish, supporting their personal and emotional development, sparking their imagination, and instilling a lifelong love of learning.

 

THE EARLY YEARS CURRICULUM, ASSESSMENT AND PROGRESS

There are seven areas of learning and development that shape our educational programme in Year R. All areas of learning and development are important and interconnected. Three areas are particularly important for building foundations for igniting children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving. These are communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; and physical development.

We also support children through literacy, mathematics, understanding of the world and expressive arts and design. 

Further information on each of these areas can be found in the EYFS profile handbook below.

Early years foundation stage profile handbook

There is a level of development that children should be expected to obtain by the end of Year R, known as the Early Learning Goals.

Assessment plays an important part in helping us recognise children's progress, understand their needs, and plan activities and support. We use tapestry, an online learning journal to provide ongoing assessment which links home and school. 

At the end of Year R an EYFS profile is completed for each child which indicates whether or not children have met the expected levels of development. We share these results with parents, carers and the Year 1 teacher. 

 

YEAR R ASPIRATIONAL OUTCOMES 

At Curdridge Primary School, we lay the foundations for learning in Reception through our Curdridge Learning Powers, which  underpin and drive our curriculum. These key skills are embedded in all aspects of school life and are woven throughout both the Early Years Foundation Stage and the wider school curriculum. Our flexible and aspirational curriculum is designed to develop children’s skills and knowledge progressively over the year. 

As a staff team, we have worked collaboratively to define these aspirational outcomes for all children. Whilst the way we deliver learning adapts to reflect each cohort’s specific interests, our end goals remain consistent. Through each learning journey, children build on their skills, knowledge, and experiences to achieve these outcomes and to be well prepared for learning in Key Stage 1.

 

Reading at CPS

"The more that you read, the more things you will know.  

The more that you learn, the more places you will go". 

A child's ability to read is a strong predictor of their life-long success.  Please remember to read daily at home with your child during their school journey.  Children bring home phonics books (their Learn to Read books) and the aim is to hear them read these 3-4 times per week, every week.  They also bring home library books (their Love to Read books) and it is equally important for them to snuggle up and listen to you read to them, discuss the story, predict endings and just enjoy sharing stories together.