Understanding the World

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increase their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension.

To teach History and Geography in EYFS using the United Curriculum scheme, the focus is embedded within the Understanding the World area, which aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles. This area includes milestones in "Past and Present" and "People, Culture, and Communities," which correspond to historical and geographical themes.

History

Children are supported in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding that helps them to make sense of the world. The pupils are encouraged to talk about their families and past and present events in their lives. They will begin to gain knowledge and understanding of the world. Children at the expected level of development will be able to talk about the lives of people around them and their roles in society. They will know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been taught in class.

Objectives:

Help children understand the concept of time by exploring changes in their own lives and the lives of others.

Introduce historical events and people that are meaningful or relatable to children.

Approaches:

Storytelling: Share stories about the past, including family traditions and community changes.

Timelines: Use visual timelines showing children's own growth or local historical landmarks.

Role Play: Create opportunities for children to engage in pretend play related to historical events or figures.

Discussion: Ask children about their understanding of “then and now” using simple prompts.

Geography (People, Culture, and Communities)

In Nursery and Reception, we begin to teach the skills children will need to access Geography within the National Curriculum. We immerse the children in rich learning experiences using a variety of resources. Fiction and non-fiction books, together with sources from the internet are used to expand children's knowledge of places around the world. We use our school grounds to explore routes closer to home and experience seasonal changes first hand.

Objectives:

Foster awareness of their immediate environment and the broader world.

Explore differences and similarities between various places and cultures.

Approaches:

Local Walks: Take walks to observe features of the local community (parks, shops, post office).

Mapping Activities: Introduce simple maps to help children understand directions and places.

Cultural Celebrations: Integrate discussions about festivals and traditions from different cultures.

Interactive Activities: Use globes, puzzles, or digital resources to highlight geographical features.

Integration

The teaching is designed to:

Build Curiosity: Encourage children to ask questions about the past and their surroundings.

Use Adaptable Methods: Tailor activities to the children's experiences and developmental levels.

Promote Active Engagement: Create hands-on experiences that link to their lives and interests.

Connect Subjects: Make connections across themes, such as linking a story about historical figures to geographical exploration of their origins.

This approach ensures children develop foundational knowledge and skills in History and Geography through play-based and inquiry-led learning.

Science

In Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), science is taught through a hands-on, exploratory approach using the Developing Experts scheme. This curriculum emphasizes engaging children with their natural curiosity and understanding of the world through various themed lessons that integrate physical activities, observations, and creative tasks. Here are the key elements:

Children are naturally inquisitive and love to ask questions, explore new things and investigate how things work. It is vital, therefore, that we develop their passion of scientific discovery from a young age.

At Longmoor, we aim to deliver a well-balanced EYFS curriculum, where children can explore, investigate and ask questions about objects, people and resources within their child initiated play and also during adult led and taught sessions. A fundamental part of the EYFS curriculum is enabling the environment so that children can fully access aspects of Understanding the world within all areas of the classroom, both inside and out.

Learning Intentions:

- Each lesson has clear objectives, such as understanding living and non-living things, identifying animal habitats, or exploring the senses. The focus is on building foundational scientific concepts through practical experiences and discussion.

Links to Early Learning Goals (ELGs):

- Lessons align with ELGs, fostering skills such as making observations, using tools with precision, comparing similarities and differences in the environment, and understanding basic scientific processes.
- Specific goals like physical development, understanding the world (UW), and expressive arts are interwoven.

Interactive Activities:

- Children participate in activities like building models, conducting simple experiments (e.g., testing which objects float or sink), and observing changes in materials (e.g., melting chocolate).
- Crafting and sensory exploration are used to solidify understanding.

Vocabulary Building:

- Lessons introduce "Rocket Words," which are key scientific terms tailored to young learners (e.g., "habitat," "living," "push/pull").
- Children are encouraged to use these words in context to build their language and conceptual knowledge.

Themes and Topics:

- Topics span animals, plants, space, forces, seasons, health, and more, ensuring a broad and engaging introduction to science.
- Seasonal and cultural contexts are incorporated, such as lessons on making dough for Chinese New Year or examining seasonal changes.

This approach ensures that EYFS learners engage with science in a playful yet structured manner, fostering their natural curiosity and preparing them for more formal scientific study in later years.

Religious Education

We follow the Kapow Primary scheme to deliver high-quality Religious Education (RE) that nurtures curiosity, respect, and understanding of different faiths and worldviews. Our approach in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is designed to be engaging, age-appropriate, and inclusive, laying the foundations for a lifelong appreciation of diversity and belief.

Our Approach

Through the Kapow scheme, we introduce young children to key religious and cultural concepts using stories, songs, role-play, and hands-on activities. Our teaching aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, supporting children’s personal, social, and emotional development while encouraging an awareness of different beliefs and traditions.

How We Teach RE in EYFS

Exploring Stories and Celebrations: We use storybooks and visual storytelling to introduce children to religious festivals, traditions, and values from different faiths.
Hands-on Learning: Children engage in creative activities such as craft-making, music, and drama to deepen their understanding of cultural and religious practices.
Role-play and Discussion: Through play-based learning and guided discussions, children explore themes of kindness, respect, and belonging.
Visitors and Experiences: Where possible, we invite visitors from different religious communities and explore religious artefacts to bring learning to life.
Outdoor and Sensory Learning: Using nature and sensory play, we help children connect with themes of wonder, gratitude, and reflection.

Our Aims

By following the Kapow scheme in EYFS, we aim to:

Foster a sense of respect and acceptance for different beliefs and cultures.
Develop early understanding of key religious concepts in a fun and accessible way.
Support children’s communication skills through storytelling and discussions.
Encourage curiosity and open-mindedness about the world around them.

Our RE teaching in EYFS ensures that children develop a positive awareness of diversity, preparing them for their learning journey through school and beyond.

Computing

Within the new EYFS curriculum the ‘Technology’ strand has been removed from ‘Understanding the World’ and has not been replaced with any updated guidance. However, computing and technology are still vitally important subjects to teach to Foundation children. Teaching computing within the curriculum ensures that children enter Year 1 with a strong foundation of knowledge. Computing lessons in the EYFS also ensure that children develop listening skills, problem-solving abilities and thoughtful questioning — as well as improving subject skills across the seven areas of learning. In EYFS, the children begin to recognise how a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools and use technology for different purposes.

EYFS is centred around play-based, unplugged activities that focus on building pupils’ listening skills, curiosity, creativity and problem solving. In the Early Years classroom there are computing resources available at all times in the continuous provision: Our children have access to PCs at all times, take photographs on the iPads and cameras, play games on the interactive whiteboard or on iPads, experiment with pully toys and lift-the-flap books, have access to remote controlled cars and Beebots and more resources to begin experimenting with Computer Science.

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