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Early Years at St Peter’s Primary School
Intent - What We Aim to Achieve
At St Peter’s, we believe that every child deserves a magical start to their learning journey. Our Early Years curriculum is designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning. We offer a rich and engaging environment - both indoors and outdoors - where children can explore, play, and grow through exciting experiences that challenge and inspire.
We are passionate about helping children develop socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively in a setting that celebrates diversity and values every child’s background. Our goal is for every child to become confident, independent, and kind - ready to believe in themselves and build positive relationships with others.
Play is at the heart of everything we do. Research shows that children learn best when they are deeply engaged in play, so we carefully balance adult-led activities with child-initiated exploration. This ensures that every child makes strong progress from their unique starting point.
Implementation - How We Make It Happen
We create a language-rich environment where children are immersed in stories, songs, rhymes, and meaningful conversations. Our skilled staff build strong relationships with children, encouraging them to express themselves and develop a wide vocabulary. For children who need extra support, we offer targeted interventions such as Welcomm and Language Through Listening.
Reading is a joyful experience at St Peter’s. Children have access to a wide range of books and take part in daily story time and Talk sessions. We also teach phonics systematically every day and provide additional support to help every child become a confident reader.
In maths, we use trusted resources like White Rose Maths and NCETM Number to build strong foundations. Children learn through direct teaching and hands-on exploration, helping them apply their skills in real-life situations and become confident problem-solvers.
Our curriculum is brought to life through exciting topics, enriched with classroom enhancements, trips, and visitors. Carefully chosen key texts support language development and spark imagination. We remain flexible and responsive to children’s interests, adapting our plans to meet their needs and passions.
We value our partnership with parents and carers. Through our Class Dojo platform, workshops, and regular sharing of children’s achievements, we keep families closely involved in their child’s learning journey.
We continuously assess children’s progress using Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals, ensuring that teaching is tailored to each child’s needs and next steps.
Impact - What Difference It Makes
Many of our children begin their journey at St Peter’s with starting points below national expectations. Our carefully designed curriculum ensures that every child makes strong progress and is well-prepared for the next stage of their education.
By the end of Reception, our children typically:
- Have a rich vocabulary and a wide range of experiences to support future learning
- Can read and write simple sentences using their phonics knowledge
- Are emotionally resilient and able to self-regulate
- Communicate confidently at an age-appropriate level
- Have the physical stamina needed to access the wider curriculum
- Understand basic number concepts and counting skills
We are proud of the nurturing, inspiring environment we provide - and of the confident, capable learners who leave our Early Years ready to thrive.
L Turner
EYFS LEAD