Early Years at Keinton Mandeville Primary

Early Years at Keinton Mandeville

The children in their reception year at school will be following the early years curriculum.  There are seven areas within this curriculum.  Communication and language development is the first and involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations. 

Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.

Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

Alongside these seven curriculum areas children are developing the characteristics of effective learning, covering skills in ‘playing and exploring’, ‘active learning’ and in ‘creating and thinking critically’.

Play is at the heart of the Early Years curriculum and much of what the children initially do is play-based.  Learning happens both indoors and outdoors and builds towards longer sessions throughout the year in preparation for Year 1.  All learning is cross curricular following both topics and children’s interests.  There are planned opportunities for both adult led and child initiated play and independent learning is always encouraged.