EYFS

Intent

At Nottingham Academy, our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum is designed to foster a lifelong love of learning and curiosity. Our interest-led, book-driven curriculum is carefully crafted to meet the needs of every child, ensuring that all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), are fully supported and able to thrive.

We place strong emphasis on the role of quality adult interaction and facilitation. Skilled practitioners guide and support children through meaningful conversations, open-ended questioning, and thoughtful observation. This empowers children to engage deeply in their learning, make connections, and build knowledge and skills across all areas of development. Our intention is that we create an inclusive environment where every child’s unique abilities, needs, and interests are recognised and valued. We ensure that for children with SEND, we offer tailored support, providing appropriate interventions, resources, and adaptations to ensure their individual developmental goals are met. Our skilled practitioners work closely with families, external agencies, and specialists to ensure all children can engage meaningfully with the curriculum and progress at their own pace.

Our curriculum is designed to nurture children’s natural curiosity and foster a sense of independence, resilience, and self-confidence. With quality adult interaction and facilitation at the heart of our approach, we use skilled questioning, observation, and encouragement to guide children’s learning. This enables every child to deepen their understanding and develop critical thinking, communication, and social skills.

The EYFS base is a secure, stimulating environment where children are encouraged to explore, collaborate, and take risks in their learning. Books play a central role, acting as a powerful tool to inspire imagination and extend learning across all areas of the curriculum. We are committed to offering a rich variety of experiences, ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, can engage in activities that spark their interest and build key skills.

Our inclusive approach ensures that every child, including those with SEND, is prepared for the next stage of their education. By fostering independence, communication, and self-regulation, we equip all children with the tools they need to succeed in Key Stage 1 and beyond. Ultimately, our goal is to create confident, curious, and capable learners who are ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges of their educational journey.

Implementation 

• The Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning supports the implementation of our curriculum through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities.
• Children at Nottingham Academy take part in daily English, Maths and Phonics lessons which are taught as a whole class. 
• We use Little Wandle as a validated phonics scheme. Children receive daily lessons and keep up sessions to ensure they make excellent progress in this area. 

  

•  Reading is at the heart of our curriculum, and this drives our book-led approach to provision where children have access to a wide range of high-quality texts which influences our themes and topics.
• We use our texts to drive our vocabulary development through the use of the FANTASTICs to ensure children have the opportunity to master basic vocabulary. We then build upon this by introducing children to more ambitious vocabulary through our daily talk and write sessions and through adult modelling in play situations. 

• Alongside teacher led sessions and activities, children also have access to enriched play-based learning opportunities. Our continuous provision is strategically planned and implemented in order to target key priorities whilst still providing open-ended activities which enhance children’s engagement, curiosity and love of learning.
• Following the children’s interests provides a foundation in which the core elements of the EYFS framework can truly be developed. It allows children to develop their imagination, social skills and wellbeing, and with high quality adult interaction and modelling, next steps are identified and targeted in the moment of learning.
• Alongside our core collaborative and cooperative learning principles, every child in our EYFS is provided with the opportunity to progress and succeed.    
• Children with SEND are well-supported within the provision with tailored sessions which focus on their next steps and targets. 
• Children in F1 and F2 work within the same EYFS base, which greatly supports transition and provides opportunities for the older children to support and offer a good model for the young F1 children. 
• Children are continuously challenged in the provision through adult intervention which addresses children's next steps within the learning moments, alongside whole class challenges which children are required to complete independently. 
• Key priority areas of learning are frequently identified and updated in response to children's progress. We use this information to drive our ‘in the moment interventions’, which are tailored to target specific next steps for those individual children.

Impact 

• Through our carefully designed curriculum and EYFS learning environment, children settle quickly and immediately start to make good progress.  
• Through our well-organised and stimulating environment, children develop fantastic learning behaviours, displaying curiosity and a love of learning. 
• Our vigorous tracking of progress across all areas of learning, ensures that purposeful and targeted interventions take place. 
• Observing children's interests and taking on board parent voice, allows us to plan and deliver an interest-led curriculum which is focussed on making learning irresistible to all children. 
• Our GLD data demonstrates improvements year-on-year and this is reflected through being in line with our local authority.  
• Our learning journeys and observations support ongoing formative assessment, which supports our in-depth understanding of each child and identifies next steps for future planning.
• Termly summative assessments monitor the children who are on track and not on track to achieve the GLD. This allows the implementation of accurate and relevant interventions which support key children in the highlighted priority areas of learning.
• Through pupil progress meetings and regular data analysis we are then able to ensure all children are making good rates of progress, including vulnerable groups.
• Adaptations to practice throughout the year alongside an ambitious curriculum design ensures that children develop the skills and independence to establish a smooth transition to year 1.