Intent, Implementation and Impact for the Early Years

Intent

At Fawbert and Barnard’s our aim is to create a learning environment and build relationships which support, enhance and invite a child’s curiosity, confidence and individual competency to flourish regardless of backgrounds, circumstances or needs.  We aim to work collaboratively with parents and carers to enable children to become independent learners who thrive and reach their full potential.

To ensure children make excellent progress in the early years at Fawbert and Barnard’s, it is our intent to take into consideration children’s starting points and needs of our pupils as they begin their learning journey.  Every child has access to a broad and balanced curriculum which prepares them for now and the future in terms of opportunities and experiences.  Following personal interests and individual needs allows us to plan and provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum to support learning and development and achieve their next steps.  At Fawbert and Barnard’s we strive to ensure that children are well equipt for future and plan for life skills that we want the children to all accomplish at the end of their time in the EYFS.

Implement

At Fawbert and Barnard’s we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.  This document specifies the requirements for learning and development in the EYFS and provides the prime and specific areas we must cover in our curriculum.  Through our knowledge of each child and ongoing formative assessments the EYFS team plan exciting and engaging activities that will move the children’s learning forward.  This may involve following a class theme where we take advantage of cross-curricular links in order to combine transferable skills and develop a wide-ranging vocabulary which underpins the children’s learning.  This may also include following individual children’s interests and making the most of those focused moments where the teaching and learning can be maximised in a one to one way. Each year creates its own unique blend of whole class, guided, adult directed play and child-initiated play activities dependant on the nature of the needs of the class and the pupil’s interests. 

The school currently follows the Letter and Sounds phonics programme but this is currently under review in line with new government guidance.

Through our use of formative assessment and capturing children’s learning using ‘Tapestry’ online learning journals in the form of notes, videos and photos we are able to identify gaps in children’s learning and provide intervention for those that are at risk of not meeting the Early Learning Goal. 

Our use of tapestry also enables parents to stay up to date with children’s learning and progression at school. It also enables parents to post their own knowledge of their child’s progression which helps to provide a full picture of the child’s whole development.

The team at Fawbert and Barnard’s strive to create a kind, caring and happy environment where resilience, perseverance and successes are celebrated and every child feels valued and respected.

Impact

The impact of the EYFS curriculum is reflected in having well rounded, happy and confident children transitioning into Year 1.

We measure progress and children's learning against Early Learning Goals at the end of the year.  Across the year formative and summative assessment, is used to inform the teacher's knowledge of the child, this includes their learning journeys, photographs and videos recorded on Tapestry. We aim for the majority of children to make a good level of development and reach the Early Learning Goals. The judgements of our school are moderated with other schools in the TMAT and cross school moderation meetings hosted by HEC.