At Blackford School, we recognise that children will learn most effectively when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults who care for them. We provide a setting that encompasses a safe and stimulating environment where children are able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence that helps them to achieve their potential. Pupils learn through a balance of child initiated and adult directed activities. The timetable to carefully structured so that children have directed teaching in maths using White Rose, phonics using Read Write Inc and Talk Through Story sessions every day. This focused group time means the adults can check the children’s understanding, identify and respond to misconceptions quickly, provide verbal feedback which may also link to the child’s next steps in learning to help give a little challenge. We also constantly develop the children’s vocabulary which results in a strong impact on the development of new learning. 

Teaching in our EYFS covers many different ways in which the adults help our youngest children to learn. Adults may comment, model language, show, explain, demonstrate, explore ideas, recall, encourage, question, provide a narrative, facilitate and challenge through their interactions in planned and child-initiated play and activities as well as more guided learning, both indoors and outdoors. We feel this helps to build the foundation of the children’s learning skills, knowledge and understanding of the curriculum, so that they can apply this learning to child-initiated activities and continuous provision. We also have a strong emphasis on our school values, especially our core values of Compassion, Forgiveness and Trust and these are applied in different opportunities. 

The curriculum is planned for within the inside and outside classrooms and equal importance is given to learning in both areas. The curriculum is planned in a cross- curricular way to enable all aspects of the child’s development including Understanding the World, Expressive Art and Design as well as to promote vocabulary and active learning. Our timetable is very flexible, and we will alter plans if the children express a specific interest in a certain area or topic. 

Throughout Nursery and Reception, our children are assessed in relation to their progress towards Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals. These judgments are made on the basis of accumulative observations through play and in-depth knowledge of the children acquired through ongoing assessments, discussions with the children. Some observations, photographs are uploaded using Tapestry and shared with the supporting parents and carers. All of which contribute as well as our in-depth knowledge of each individual child to completing the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile at the end of the child’s fantastic journey in our EYFS. The End-of-year assessments are finalised during the summer term, summarising each child’s development at that point against the Early Learning Goals and Development Matters.