Early Years

At St Michael’s C.E. Primary School, our Early Years provision gives children the strong foundations they need to flourish. Rooted in our Christian vision, “Courage to Flourish in the Love of God,” we want every child to feel safe, valued, confident and ready to learn.

Our Early Years includes Nursery and Reception. Children join us with a wide range of starting points, experiences and needs, so we prioritise secure relationships, language development, independence, self-care, confidence and meaningful first-hand experiences from the very beginning.

We want children to leave the Early Years as curious, independent and resilient learners. Through carefully planned teaching, purposeful play, continuous provision and high-quality adult interaction, children develop the knowledge, vocabulary, skills and learning behaviours they need for future success.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and is organised around the seven areas of learning. We place a strong emphasis on the prime areas: communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development. These foundations help children to access all areas of learning and prepare them for their next stage of education.

In Nursery, children develop secure relationships, communication, confidence, physical skills, independence and self-care. In Reception, these foundations are built upon through early reading, writing, mathematics and wider curriculum knowledge, preparing children for Year 1 and beyond.

Working in Partnership

We value strong relationships with parents and carers. Families are supported through home visits, stay and play sessions, induction meetings, pupil progress meetings, parent workshops and regular communication with staff.

Transitions are carefully planned so that children feel secure and confident as they move into Nursery, into Reception and then into Year 1. Staff share key information about each child’s strengths, needs and next steps so that learning continues smoothly.

Assessment in Early Years

Assessment in Early Years is purposeful, manageable and focused on helping children learn. Adults get to know children well through high-quality interactions, play, adult-led learning, routines, observations and discussions.

Staff use what they notice to identify what children know, what they can do, what they need to practise further and what support or challenge they need next. This helps us adapt teaching, plan provision, provide keep-up support and ensure children make progress from their individual starting points.

Within the first six weeks of Reception, children complete the statutory Reception Baseline Assessment. This is a short, age-appropriate assessment completed with a familiar adult and is not a test that children pass or fail.

In Reception, children are also assessed regularly through our phonics programme. These assessments help staff identify gaps in phonics knowledge, blending, word reading, tricky word recognition and fluency. Children who need extra support receive keep-up sessions so that gaps are addressed quickly.

At the end of Reception, children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals. These judgements are shared with parents and carers and help support a smooth transition into Year 1. However, we recognise that the Early Years curriculum is broader than the Early Learning Goals, and our aim is for children to leave Reception with the confidence, independence, language, knowledge and strong foundations they need to flourish.

If you have any questions about Early Years, our curriculum, routines or how we can support your child, please speak to Mr Bhatti, Deputy Headteacher and Early Years Leader. He will be happy to help.