A journey through the EYFS at St Helen's

At St Helen’s we believe that Early Years education should acknowledge and build upon the wealth of learning that the children bring with them to school. We place great value on the development of children as individuals and providing them with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to prepare them for the excitement and challenges throughout their learning journey.  We support our children through the planning, delivery and evaluation of the Foundation Stage Curriculum.  The principles which guide our work are grouped into four themes:  A Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and Development.  We believe that these areas of development can be encouraged most effectively in an informal setting where the children feel secure, happy and valued.

Our curriculum intent is to build strong foundations rooted in academic success as well as moral and spiritual development, so that ultimately our children can be successful at university, go on to be active citizens of society and happy, curious life-long learners who are curious about the world around them. 

We offer opportunities for the children to feel secure and confident; enjoy coming to school and learning new skills and knowledge building on their existing learning through providing the children with experiences and opportunities to help them progress and achieve success. 

We utilise a continuous provision structure where carefully planned resources and experiences provide opportunities for children to revisit and build on their learning, develop independence, make choices and follow their own interests. The teachers plan using Development Matters to ensure progression in learning and opportunities.