EYFS

EYFS

Leader: Trish Penrose

Our EYFS curriculum intent

At Porthleven School, our EYFS curriculum provides engaging, hands-on experiences that nurture resilience, ambition, and a passion for learning. The Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning are at the heart of everything we do. We design stimulating environments, both indoors and outdoors, that spark curiosity and expand experiences, encouraging children to take on new challenges.

Our approach is child-focused, driven by their interests, as we build on their current knowledge and abilities. By working closely with parents, carers, and professionals, we ensure that every child gets the best possible start. We celebrate each child’s individuality, encouraging confidence, independence, and creativity, while also promoting a sense of community and global responsibility.

Our curriculum equips children for their future by helping them develop knowledge, skills, and values, creating a strong foundation for lifelong success.

We are dedicated to:

  • Providing the best for every child: Our inclusive approach ensures that each child’s needs are met, giving everyone the opportunity to thrive.
  • Delivering high-quality care: Through positive relationships, we make children feel valued, secure, and supported.
  • Promoting focused learning: Language and communication are central to our curriculum, with careful planning of the seven areas of learning to ensure a deep understanding of knowledge and skills.

The Porthleven Way

In the EYFS, children are encouraged to take risks in a safe and supportive environment, both indoors and outdoors. Teachers and practitioners create opportunities for children to explore and challenge themselves while ensuring safety is a priority. For example, children might try climbing, balancing, or navigating new spaces outdoors, learning to assess their own limits and develop resilience. At Porthleven School, children feel a sense of belonging through the nurturing and inclusive environment that values each child as an individual. The school fosters strong relationships between staff, children, and families, ensuring that everyone feels welcomed and supported. Children are encouraged to contribute to the school community, whether through class discussions, group activities, or school events, which helps them feel part of something larger than themselves. In a play-based environment, children feel they can learn because play is both enjoyable and meaningful, allowing them to explore ideas, ask questions, and solve problems in a natural way. Through play, children are free to experiment, make mistakes, and try new things without the fear of failure, which boosts their confidence and curiosity. Children become responsible learners by taking ownership of their learning experiences. The environment is carefully set up with a variety of resources and activities that encourage children to make choices, explore, and direct their own learning. This fosters independence and decision-making skills, as they are encouraged to select what to engage with and follow through on their interests. Our children leave EYFS knowing they are capable, confident, and can embrace new opportunities for learning and development.

Implementation

We adhere to the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, providing a play-based curriculum supported by the characteristics of effective teaching and learning. Through play and exploration, children are encouraged to be curious, set their own challenges, and discover solutions. Both self-initiated and adult-guided activities help our children build essential skills for successful learning.

Each half term, a new theme sparks curiosity and motivates learning, while also giving children the freedom to explore their own interests. Daily routines create a balance between self-directed play and guided teaching, with focused group activities enabling adults to address misunderstandings and offer feedback, ensuring deep understanding and progress. Learning takes place in both indoor and outdoor spaces, with equal value placed on each environment, providing children with diverse and enriching experiences.

Key Areas:

Literacy: Reading is at the heart of our curriculum, focusing on developing oracy, vocabulary, and comprehension through a diverse range of books. We use the Read Write Inc Phonics Programme to ensure consistency, giving children the skills they need to become lifelong readers. Phonics instruction starts in Nursery, gradually building to confident and fluent reading through regular practice both at home and school.

Self-Regulation and Executive Function: Through language development, positive relationships, and playful learning, children strengthen key cognitive skills such as focus, memory, and planning—skills vital for early learning and future academic success.

Mathematics: Guided by the White Rose Maths Scheme and the EYFS framework, we take a Maths Mastery approach, incorporating resources from NCETM. In Nursery, children develop foundational skills like counting, understanding quantity (cardinality), and recognizing patterns. Our mathematical learning is engaging and fun, with hands-on manipulatives, songs, and play-based activities.

Wider Curriculum: Children explore ‘Understanding the World’ and ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ through activities that spark curiosity and nurture skills in science, geography, history, and art, helping them make sense of the world around them.

Assessment: Practitioners observe children’s abilities closely to inform ongoing planning. Adjustments and additional support are provided where needed to challenge or assist each child in their development.

Partnership with Parents: Strong, respectful partnerships with parents and carers are essential for a child’s success. We encourage parents to actively engage in their child’s learning at home through conversation, play, and reading, as this plays a crucial role in their development.

Impact

Our EYFS curriculum nurtures children into well-rounded, independent learners who are happy, confident, and ready for the next phase of their education. They come to school excited to expand on their existing knowledge, engaging in curiosity-driven, meaningful learning experiences that spark their natural enthusiasm for discovery.

Evidence in Knowledge and Skills:

  • Children develop positive attitudes, essential skills, and a broad knowledge base across all seven EYFS areas.
  • They interact confidently with both peers and adults, using an expanding vocabulary to communicate effectively.
  • A love for books is clearly evident, and by the end of Reception, children read fluently, applying their phonics knowledge and skills.
  • Children demonstrate the ability to manage their emotions, understand their effects on others, and show creativity, problem-solving skills, resilience, and perseverance—qualities that are key to lifelong learning.

Outcomes:

  • All children make progress, achieving the best possible outcomes from their starting points and are well-prepared for Year 1.
  • We aim for children to meet Early Learning Goals, surpassing local and national benchmarks for Good Level of Development (GLD).
  • Progress is carefully tracked through formative and summative assessments.

Assessment & Monitoring:

  • Internal moderation occurs after each term’s data collection, ensuring secure, consistent assessments.
  • Data is analysed to track progress, evaluate adaptations and interventions, and identify next steps for continuous improvement.