Our curriculum is designed to be creative and inspiring, full of memorable experiences that allows children's natural creativity and curiosity to flourish, alongside the purposeful acquisition of skills and knowledge. Children are offered a wide range of experiences that broadens their understanding and equips them with the skills needed to be confident, independent, lifelong learners.
We recognise that each child is unique and tailor quality learning opportunities around each child’s individual needs and interests. Challenge is embedded within the curriculum to ensure that all children are able to meet their full potential. The curriculum forms a strong foundation from which children can build upon, within an enabling environment, as they move into Key Stage One.
At St Michaels we follow the Early Years Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.We deliver a curriculum that is made up of both adult led and child initiated sessions. This enables the children to learn new skills, knowledge and understanding, which they can then transfer into their own learning and play. The curriculum is bespoke to each cohort of children, tailored to their needs and next steps. Key knowledge and skills are taught progressively through engaging topics and allow children to make links in their learning. Children’s learning is documented through Tapestry, an online Learning journey.Learning happens both inside and outside the classroom, with children having access to the outdoor area at all times. We also have a weekly Welly Wednesday session, using the woods in the school grounds as a stimulus for learning.
Our learning environment ensures that children are able to access high quality, open ended resources for their child initiated play, providing opportunities to optimise children’s characteristics of learning and build on the knowledge and skills they have been taught. Specific enhancements to these resources are added to support children in deepening their understanding or practicing specific skills.
Impact
The impact of our curriculum at St Michaels is measured and monitored from the time the children start school. Information and observation data from feeder nursery schools helps base our initial assessments of children. Their journey is tracked throughout the year, allowing appropriate support and challenge to be put in place. Class teachers use observations to make formative assessments which inform future planning and ensure that all children build on their current knowledge and skills at a good pace. Summative assessment compares children attainment to age related expectations. This is then evaluated to ensure rates of progress are at least good for all children, including vulnerable groups such as those with SEND, disadvantaged or summer born children. Our assessment judgements are moderated both in school and externally. Termly pupil progress meetings identify any specific needs and this information is used to develop intervention programmes. Due to this our Good Level of Development is consistently higher than the county and national percentages. This ensures that when children leave EYFS they have a positive disposition to learning and are ready to move through the school. They transition into Key Stage One with confidence.