Early Years Foundation Stage

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled”

Plutarch

EY Leader: Mrs Hannah Bostock

External Links: Blackfriars Teaching Hub, SHEADs

Vision and INtent

Here at Cheadle Primary School, we believe that primary education is more than just academic achievement. We aim to foster a love of learning for all our children, a love so strong that it will carry them throughout their life. We place a strong emphasis on ensuring an ethical ethos and insist that our strong values system permeates everything we do. All our endeavours are concentrated on the core purpose: To provide the very best primary education for all our children.

Our curriculum has been designed to enable children to succeed through cooperative and collaborative learning principles. Communication and language skills are key to children’s development and this area of learning underpins everything we do. As an EYFS team and effective role models, we will provide high quality interactions in order to develop and deepen the children’s learning opportunities.

We believe that high level engagement ensures a high level of attainment. We therefore provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as promoting the unique child by offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking. We work on broadening children’s experiences, providing opportunities to try new things and encouraging them to relish a new challenge.

By the end of the Reception year, our intent is to ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points and that they are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need in order to have a smooth transition into Year 1.

Early Years Leader

My name is Hannah Bostock, and I am proud to be the Early Years Lead at Cheadle Primary School, where I have been dedicated to teaching for the past 19 years. My passion for the Early Years curriculum remains as strong as ever, as I truly believe it lays the foundations for a lifelong love of learning.

In my role, alongside our wonderful EYFS team, my priority is to ensure every child feels happy, safe, and valued, while nurturing their curiosity, confidence, and individuality. We are committed to working in close partnership with parents and carers, offering support, guidance, and a listening ear whenever it’s needed.

At Cheadle Primary, we take the time to really get to know each child and their family before they begin their journey with us. This helps us create a learning experience that is tailored to your child’s unique interests, strengths, and needs. To support this, either myself or a member of our team will visit your child in their current setting, as well as arranging home visits in the summer term.

Together, we aim to create a strong, supportive foundation where every child can thrive, grow, and begin their school journey with excitement and confidence

Curriculum and implementation

The Early Years classes learn together in an environment which is developed around the children’s interests. We pride ourselves on being an exciting and engaging place to be - encouraging our children to be independent learners through a range of practical activities. We follow a thematic curriculum which allows us to be creative with our lessons and let the children lead their own learning.

As our Foundation Stage children enter the classroom, they learn primarily through a variety of play and real-life experiences. Our teaching is delivered through carefully planned tasks and guided activities. The children access their environment freely; however, they understand the importance of exploring all the activities throughout the week which will scaffold and extend their learning. We understand and appreciate the importance of the outdoor environment for our children. It is a continuation of our indoor provision and it is used at every opportunity.

Literacy

Reading is central to our curriculum, and we aim to foster a love of books from the very beginning. In EYFS, we introduce children each half term to a selection of high-quality texts. These books are carefully chosen not only to nurture a passion for reading but also to develop oracy, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. They are embedded into our provision through activities and displays, enabling children to access them independently. This exposure helps children internalise new vocabulary, recognise language patterns, and begin to retell stories with confidence.

Phonics

To ensure consistency across the school, we follow the Read Write Inc. programme. In Nursery, the focus is on developing speaking and listening skills. During the summer term, children are introduced to Read Write Inc., with Phase 1 concentrating on tuning into sounds and preparing for oral blending and segmenting, before progressing to grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPC).

In Reception, children move on to learning Set 1 and Set 2 sounds while continuing to practise blending and segmenting to decode words. They are encouraged to read regularly at home and are listened to frequently in school. Books are matched to each child’s phonic knowledge, supporting them to apply their skills and develop into fluent, confident readers.

Please click here to find out more

Maths

In Reception, we follow the White Rose Maths scheme. A rich learning environment, supported by purposeful adult interactions, encourages mathematical thinking and discussion. Children learn through games and practical activities, using concrete manipulatives and pictorial representations to explore concepts. They are given opportunities for child-led exploration, building their understanding in meaningful ways. Reception children also take part in daily Mental Maths sessions to develop fluency, revisit key ideas, and address misconceptions.

In Nursery, we follow an adapted version of the White Rose Maths scheme. Children develop a positive attitude towards maths through songs, rhymes, games, and play with concrete resources. A strong focus is placed on early counting principles such as one-to-one correspondence, stable order, and the cardinal principle. Fine motor development is also emphasised to support accurate one-to-one counting, ensuring children count each object only once.

Core Knowledge and skills

Please click on the links below to see our subject progression documents for EYFS.

Progression and information about RWI

EYFS Statutory Framework

Development Matters Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage

Reception long term plan

Nursery long term plan

assessment

Baseline:

Before children begin, staff take time to speak with parents, carers, and previous settings, as well as review earlier learning journeys. This helps build a holistic understanding of each child and their starting point. During the first half term in Nursery or Reception, staff use ongoing assessment, observation, and conversations with the child to form a baseline assessment. This establishes individual starting points across all areas, enabling us to plan experiences that support progress.

In addition, the following baseline assessments are carried out:

Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA – statutory):
This focuses on Language, Communication and Literacy and Mathematics. Its purpose is to measure the progress children make from Reception through to the end of Key Stage 2.

Ongoing Observations:

Continuous observations inform weekly planning and highlight children’s next steps. Practitioners use their professional knowledge, discussions with colleagues, and evidence such as photographs or children’s creations (e.g., drawings, models). Some observations are uploaded to Tapestry to share with parents and carers, while physical work is stored in each child’s learning journey

Assessment:

Read Write Inc. phonics assessments are completed half-termly to identify pupils not making expected progress. Our approach aims for children to keep up rather than catch up. Where extra support is needed, daily one-to-one tutoring is provided.

Assessment takes place throughout the year, with a final review in Summer Term 2 when the EYFSP (Early Years Foundation Stage Profile) is completed. Teachers judge whether each child has met the 17 Early Learning Goals (ELGs), recording outcomes as either emerging or expected. While exceeding ELGs is not a formal judgement, teachers provide a narrative to share with both parents and the Year 1 teacher.

Click here EYFS Baseline assessment

Transition

To ensure a smooth transition we build positive relationships with yourselves and your child. We want the children to feel happy and safe in their school environment.

We provide a bespoke 3-week induction period for those children joining the Nursery and Reception.

Week 1- 1-hour story time

Week 2- Morning session in school

Week 3- 9.30-2.30pm- whole day session, where they will get to do exciting activities as well as have lunch in our school canteen.

We will also arrange a home visit and meet with your child’s previous setting. We invite the local nurseries to attend our school events such as sports day, school plays and celebrations.

We also work closely with the Year One staff to ensure the children continue to feel happy and safe within our school and to build those positive relationships with their new teachers. They will follow the 3-week programme outlined above with in the Year One classrooms.