NPS Curriculum Overview

We are in school to Acquire the knowledge and skills that will allow us to Achieve our aims and go on to what we Aspire to do.

Our aspiration for every learner:

Through a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum, we aim for all our pupils to ACQUIRE the knowledge and skills that enables them to ACHIEVE and flourish both academically and personally in every way. This will enable them to go on to ASPIRE and become confident, articulate and respectful citizens who contribute positively to society.

Our aspiration for every learner (intent):

At  Nanaksar Primary School we place great value on the Early Years Foundation Stage, which is crucial in securing a solid foundation for a child to develop and progress throughout their school years. It is a ‘stepping stone’ to gain the knowledge, skills and understanding for learning and it is of fundamental importance that the EYFS team are effective role models who take into account prior learning and experiences and plan to provide a rich and engaging curriculum, promoting parent partnership from the very start.

We set out to ensure our curriculum centres around the needs and interests of our pupils, where every child is recognised as a unique individual with various starting points. Whilst our curriculum is flexible to represent our pupil context, it is also challenging and progressive and designed alongside the EYFS principles of encouraging independent, inquisitive, resilient and happy learners. 

Our aim is to provide pupils with the knowledge and experiences to develop a sense of awe and wonder, creating ‘magical moments,’ thus allowing pupils to build upon their imagination and creativity. Through high quality continuous indoor and outdoor provision, we seek to embed the right habits for learning through the characteristics of – Play and Exploration, Active Learning and Creative and Critical Thinking. 

A growing proportion of pupils arrive at NPS having come from abroad with limited prior schooling or with English as an additional language. As such, in the Autumn term we prioritise personal, social and emotional development and communication and language within the curriculum, also ensuring that all pupils access early reading through a high quality systematic and synthetic phonics programme.

Throughout the year we invest time into supporting pupils to achieve their personal best in all areas of the curriculum so that they have the confidence to access a variety of learning experiences. It is our intent to ensure that all pupils make at least expected progress from their starting points and are well equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Key Stage 1. 

How we support pupils to acquire this learning (implementation):

Our curriculum follows the EYFS Framework where the characteristics of effective teaching and learning are central to all planned learning experiences. The delivery of the curriculum uses an integrated thematic approach across the 17 areas of learning and development, but is also taught discretely where this might be more suitable. Emphasis is on learning through play, direct practical experience and led by the interests of our pupils. There is a combination of adult-led, teacher taught sessions as well as a wealth of stimulating continuous provision opportunities encouraging pupils to develop their learning independently through discovery, exploration, curiosity and challenge. 

We prioritise creating a ‘language rich’ environment through the use of songs, nursery rhymes, stories and providing time for quality interactions between adults and peers. Pupils are encouraged to become early readers through the enjoyment of books and the systematic teaching of phonics through the Little Wandle Programme. Central to our provision is the role that adults play in modelling language and scaffolding learning through skilful interactions and effective questioning.

We plan for opportunities both indoors and outdoors and make use of our local area to develop pupils’ understanding of the world, in addition to teaching discrete ‘Our World’ lessons. We take pride in providing a highly inclusive environment, where learners of all abilities are able to access resources and the curriculum independently, making their own choices. Planned opportunities are in place for pupils to apply their learning across a range of contexts, not only via curriculum specific days (World Book Day, Cultural days, Environmental week, etc), but also through hands on experiences that bring the curriculum to life (cooking, planting, special visits, etc).

We work hard to create strong partnerships between home and school. We keep our parents well-informed through regular workshops and activity based sessions, using the online platform Tapestry to collaboratively contribute towards and celebrate their child’s learning experiences. 

As part of the teaching and learning process, pupils are assessed in relation to their progress towards the Early Learning Goals (ELGs). These judgements are made on the basis of accumulative observations and in-depth knowledge of the pupils. These ongoing assessments are used to inform planning and next steps in teaching and learning for all pupils throughout the year. Additional challenge is provided through tasks that provide opportunities to develop mastery and additional targeted support is provided through modified activities and interventions to further embed specific skills (e.g. Attention Hillingdon, Language Link, Funky Finger activities).

How we measure achievements (impact):

The impact of the EYFS curriculum is reflected in having a rich diet of balanced learning experiences which is undoubtedly the best way to have well rounded, happy and confident pupils. Through our high expectations and effective partnership with parents we are able to ensure that learning is shared and celebrated, with progress made across all areas of learning. 

Through day to day assessments and high quality observations, our skilful practitioners ensure that specific areas of need or any barriers to learning are identified in the early stages and tailored strategies implemented to close any gaps. Impact is also demonstrated through data outcomes where NPS pupils perform above national averages for achieving a Good Level of Development by the end of the year, despite pupils entering with lower starting points.

Ultimately our pupils will grow to be confident, articulate and respectful citizens. They will have a greater understanding of the world around them and be able to articulate their thoughts and ideas confidently, demonstrating the school SHARE values beyond that of the classroom. 

We endeavour for our NPS pupils to be Key Stage 1 ready, experiencing a smooth  transition from Reception to Year 1, as we are aware of how our curriculum can provide the building blocks for the skills being taught through the National Curriculum.

Please click on the link below to read the curriculum overview

Early Years Curriculum Overview

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Summer 2 Topic Web

Please click on the links below to download the topic webs.

Reception Autumn 1 
Reception Autumn 2
Reception Spring 2
Reception Summer 1
Reception Topic Web Summer 2