Curriculum

At Carlton Junior & Infants School, our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum is carefully designed to give children secure foundations in language, early reading, mathematics and personal development. We recognise that children develop rapidly in the early years. Our curriculum is ambitious and inclusive, ensuring all children make sustained progress from their individual starting points.

What Children Learn

Our curriculum is built around the seven areas of learning within the EYFS framework.

Prime Areas (which form the foundation for all learning):

Communication and Language

Physical Development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Specific Areas:

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the World

Expressive Arts and Design

 The prime areas underpin all other learning. We place particular emphasis on developing strong communication skills and vocabulary, confidence and independence, as these are essential for future success.

How Children Learn

Children learn through a balance of:

High-quality continuous provision (independent learning through play),

Structured adult-led sessions,

Small group focus work,

Whole-class teaching where appropriate.

Our learning environments are deliberately language-rich, with labels, prompts and discussion opportunities to reinforce vocabulary across all areas. They are carefully designed so that children can practise and apply new skills independently. Adults observe, assess and extend learning through purposeful interactions.

We promote the three characteristics of effective learning:

playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;

active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements.

creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

High-quality adult interactions are central to our curriculum. Staff model and extend language, hold back-and-forth conversations, echo, and expand children’s ideas, and introduce new vocabulary. Visual cues, gestures, facial expressions, and careful questioning are used to support all learners, including children with limited speech. Staff allow children time to respond, supporting confidence, independence and communication skills.

Early Reading and Mathematics

Early reading is taught through Read, Write Inc. phonics, which develops children’s decoding, fluency and comprehension skills in a structured and systematic way.

Mathematical understanding is developed through NCETM Mastering Number sessions, alongside practical opportunities within provision to apply number skills through play.

 Children regularly revisit key skills to secure understanding before moving on to new learning.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Each day includes phonics, mathematical learning and story time. Children also spend extended periods accessing indoor and outdoor provision, where they explore, investigate and apply new learning with adult support.

Opportunities for reading and storytelling are embedded across all areas of the environment, fostering a strong culture of language and vocabulary development. By embedding vocabulary across all areas of learning, we ensure children develop the words, phrases and communication skills they need to access the full curriculum and succeed at year 1.

 Ensuring Progression

Progression of knowledge and skills is secured through:

Carefully sequenced learning experiences,

Explicit teaching of key vocabulary,

Planned enhancements linked to curriculum goals,

High-quality adult-child interactions,

Ongoing assessment and responsive planning.

Children are given multiple opportunities to practise, revisit, and consolidate skills. Vocabulary and communication skills are carefully scaffolded, ensuring all children, regardless of starting point, make sustained progress and are ready for Key Stage One.

We have worked closely with staff in Year 1 to develop a curriculum that allows children to flourish as they move into the next phase of school. In Foundation Stage we learn key vocabulary and give experiences that are vital to support the children in all their future learning.

 Assessment

Children’s development is assessed through ongoing observation and professional dialogue. In the first term of Reception, children are assessed using the Early Years baseline tool and in the final term of Reception, children are assessed using the EYFS Profile, which provides a summary of attainment and readiness for Year One.