Letting our light shine and making a difference in everything we do.
EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage)
Welcome to Early Years at St Mary & All Saints: Let Our Light Shine
Welcome to the start of an extraordinary journey. At St Mary & All Saints CE Primary School, our Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception) is far more than just a classroom—it is a vibrant, welcoming launchpad where the lifelong spark of learning truly begins. We recognise that every single child arriving at our doors is an individual, overflowing with potential, wonder, and a completely unique light to shine. Our foundational mission is to cultivate a deeply safe, emotionally secure, and endlessly nurturing environment where pupils can develop the confidence and independence to make a tangible difference—to themselves, their peers, and the diverse world around them.
From their very first day, your child will be embraced by an ambitious, child-centred curriculum designed to capture their imagination and validate their unique voice. We know that children learn best when they feel safe to explore, make mistakes, and ask big questions. That is why our dedicated team of Early Years specialists works tirelessly to craft rich, memorable experiences that balance the comfort of structured routines with the thrill of open-ended discovery.
Whether your child is building complex engineering structures in our collaborative construction zones, exploring storytelling in our cosy reading corners, or conducting scientific investigations in our dynamic outdoor mud kitchens, they are constantly supported to take risks, voice their ideas, and master new skills. We are deeply committed to ensuring that school is a place of profound joy, where deep friendships are forged and where every child is seen, heard, and valued for exactly who they are.
How We Learn: Our Environment & Curriculum
We follow the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, carefully balancing child-led exploration with expert, structured adult-led teaching.
We view both our indoor and outdoor classrooms as an "extra teacher." They are intentionally designed to offer stimulating, open-ended resources that challenge children to become highly independent learners.
The Areas of Learning and Development
Our curriculum is mapped across the distinct areas of learning outlined in the statutory framework, focusing heavily on embedding the fundamental skills first:
The Three Prime Areas
These areas are critical for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships, and thrive:
Communication & Language
Developing listening, attention, vocabulary, and expressive speaking skills.
Physical Development
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
Enhancing gross motor skills on our outdoor equipment and fine motor control for pencil grip and tools.
Building self-regulation, positive relationships, and a strong sense of self.
The Four Specific Areas
Through these areas, the three prime areas are strengthened, deepened, and practically applied:
Literacy
Developing a love of reading, comprehension, and early writing skills (supported by our systematic synthetic phonics programme).
Mathematics
Building deep conceptual understanding of numbers, counting, patterns, and spatial reasoning.
Understanding the World
Exploring our local community, the natural world, and different cultures, faiths, and technologies.
Expressive Arts and Design
Developing a creative voice through art, music, role-play, and imaginative design.
A Partnership for Progress
Every child's developmental journey is completely unique. From the initial Reception National Baseline Assessments onwards, our experienced teachers and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) use continuous, high-quality observations to map out individualised "next steps" tailored specifically to your child’s strengths.
We work hand-in-hand with parents and carers, sharing milestones and information regularly. We ensure that by the time our pupils achieve their Early Learning Goals (ELGs) at the end of the summer term, they are fully prepared to step into Key Stage 1 with their light shining brightly!
