Welcome to Early Years
Our aim is for every child to feel happy, safe and excited to learn. Our Early Years environment provides children with opportunities to explore, investigate, create, communicate and develop the confidence to become independent and resilient learners.
We recognise that every child is unique and arrives at school with different experiences, interests and starting points. Through nurturing relationships and carefully planned learning opportunities, we aim to give every child the strong foundations they need to flourish throughout their time at Hayfield Cross and beyond.
Our Early Years Vision
We believe in encouraging children to use their imagination to lead their own learning and become independent and resilient learners.
Our approach combines learning through play, adult modelling, guided and direct teaching, and a carefully planned learning environment. We recognise children's prior learning and different starting points and provide a holistic curriculum which makes meaningful connections across different areas of learning. Our curriculum provides children with the important foundational knowledge and skills they will need as they progress into Key Stage 1.
Children are given opportunities to engage their inquisitive minds, encounter new experiences and develop new knowledge through our continuous indoor and outdoor provision. Our environment evolves throughout the year and is enhanced to respond to children's interests, needs and next steps.
As part of our school vision, children are encouraged to 'Be Brave' in their learning, to have a go, persevere and take appropriate risks, knowing that God is with us:
'Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. So don't be afraid. The Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.'
Joshua 1:9
Learning in Early Years
Learning in Early Years happens in many different ways. Children experience a balance of purposeful play, adult-guided learning and direct teaching.
Our carefully planned indoor and outdoor provision gives children extended opportunities to explore their own ideas, revisit learning, practise new skills, solve problems and apply what they have learnt whilst following their interests and making discoveries for themselves.
Adults play an important role within this. They work alongside children, modelling new vocabulary and skills, asking questions and providing appropriate challenge to help children deepen their thinking and move their learning forward. We carefully observe and assess each child’s learning to identify their individual next steps. These are then supported through carefully planned interactions and learning opportunities within our continuous provision.
This combination allows children to develop important knowledge and skills while retaining the curiosity, creativity and excitement that make Early Years learning so special.
We want our children to develop a lifelong love of books, stories and reading. High-quality texts are woven throughout our curriculum and inspire children’s talking, thinking, imagination and writing. Children learn to read through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, alongside carefully matched reading books, and our Drawing Club approach brings stories, imagination and creativity into children’s early writing experiences.
Our weekly visits to Forest School provide opportunities to explore the natural world and develop curiosity, confidence and independence. Through Forest School experiences, children learn to explore, create, work together, use tools and materials and begin to manage appropriate risks within a safe and supportive environment.
Our school vision, ‘Be Brave’, is at the heart of Early Years. We encourage children to believe in themselves, have a go, make mistakes, try again and persevere when something feels difficult. We want children to develop the confidence and resilience to embrace new experiences and challenges.
Visit the EYFS Class Page to see a more detailed overview of learning across the Reception year.
Outcomes in Early Years
Children thrive throughout their Reception year, making strong progress and developing a positive attitude towards learning. Through purposeful play and high-quality interactions, children are happy, engaged and build secure, positive relationships with both their peers and adults.
Our end-of-year outcomes demonstrate a strong track record of achievement. Outcomes in Reading, Writing, Maths and Good Level of Development (GLD) are typically above national averages, reflecting the impact of our ambitious curriculum and high-quality provision.
