Welcome to Dragon Class

At Offa’s Mead Academy our Early Years Provision is crucial in securing solid foundations that children are able to build upon. It is our intent that the children who enter our EYFS develop physically, verbally, cognitively and emotionally whilst embedding a positive attitude to school and learning where they feel safe and ready to learn.

The curriculum in Early Years is designed to provide a broad and balanced education that meets the needs of all pupils. It provides the children with the opportunity to explore enabling environments and enjoy first-hand experiences, along with quality interactions and questioning from adults. It facilitates them to gain the skills, knowledge and understanding, as they start on their educational journey. We support them to progress from their individual starting points and prepare them for the next stage of the education.

Through the seven areas of learning; Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Physical Development, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design, we provide topics that engage and excite the children as well as building on their own interests and developing their experiences of the world around them. We recognise that all children come into our setting with varied experiences. Staff work hard to ensure that the learning opportunities provided widen their knowledge and understanding of the world, setting ambitious expectations and targets for all children. A vital part of the curriculum design and topics is the transition period before the children enter our classrooms and where we get to know more about them and their interests.

The teaching of these seven areas of learning is practical and playful with support and challenge from adults in whole class, small groups and individuals. There is a combination of adult-led, teacher taught sessions as well as a wealth of stimulating continuous and enhanced provision opportunities. Throughout all of these areas of learning and at the heart of the EYFS Curriculum are the “Characteristics of Effective Learning”. At Offa’s Mead Academy, we strive to develop these key characteristics of ‘Playing and Learning’, ‘Active Learning’ and ‘Thinking Critically’ in order to give the children the skills that they will continue to draw upon throughout their development. All of the crucial skills, knowledge and vocabulary that we teach are presented to the children throughout the year which encompasses a range of topics, which are designed with their interests in mind.

Our learning environments, both inside and outside are also adapted regularly to meet the different and developing needs of the children in our care. We aim to ensure that these areas are always stimulating and exciting and that, importantly, they are accessible to all children. The environments are developed to promote independence and allow them to access the curriculum confidently with the necessary level of support and challenge.

Within our EYFS Curriculum, children are assessed continuously through accurate and informative observations. These provide us with information for future planning, not only for the whole class but also for individual children’s ‘Remarkable Steps’ in their learning. They enable us, as EYFS practitioners, to ensure learning is embedded and consistent and that all children continue to make outstanding progress within our EYFS setting.

Our Offa’s Mead Academy EYFS team strongly believe that the beginning of our children’s educational journey should be motivating and inspirational in order to launch them into a remarkable life.

• Be Unusually Brave

• Push The Limits

• Be Big Hearted

• Discover What’s Possible