A main focus of the Early Years Curriculum at Westfield is based around ‘Reading’ we want children to acquire the skills to read as quickly as possible as we know that this will enable them to learn more easily as they move through the school (See Early Reading Policy).

Due to this we want children to have access to a wealth of high quality texts and our ‘adult focused’ teaching is in the main covered through a specially selected ‘Text of the Week’, which unlocks other areas of learning from witin the EYFS curriculum. This in turns makes important connections in the pupils knowledge and understanding rather; than separating learning in to compartmentalised boxes which goes against our belief in the Principles for Early Years Education.

We ensure that there is a balance of adult led and child-initiated activities across the day. With practitioners tailor making learning activities to meet their individual next steps in learning. The enabling environment section of the EYFS supports this ongoing development and staff balance the curriculum with ‘what the child already knows’, what their ‘next step in development is, and then ‘enables the environment’ to meet this need using adult support.

Explicit teaching is required in a structured way and objective led planning ensures that pupils meet these next steps in learning.

We include direct, carefully planned, adult led experiences for children in the form of structured adult led teaching and adult led group activities. These are particularly important in helping children to develop specific skills and knowledge and it is often through children’s play that we see how much of this learning children have understood and can apply.

Each day we follow a timetable with set routines in place. In Nursery and Reception we set aside times each day when the children come together to be taught through differentiated inputs. In these slots we focus on our maths, literacy, and phonics. These sessions help to develop good attitude towards learning and encourage children to: learning as part a group, listen to the teacher, take turns and enable teachers to support and challenge children to achieve their next steps. We aspire to develop confident readers, writers and mathematicians who have a love of learning.