Children in our Early Years (Nursery and Reception) follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS).

At St James we follow a practical, playful approach to learning, based on the needs and interests of our children. This is delivered mainly through topic based planning which enhances children’s skills through play opportunities. Through a combination of teacher input and continuous provision opportunities, learning is planned to encourage children to develop their learning independently through exploration and challenge. The curriculum is successfully adapted, designed and developed for children with special educational needs. We ensure opportunities for all children are broad and balanced.

In our EYFS phase we work closely with families to create a community where successes are valued and celebrated. We celebrate special times in children’s lives and ensure our curriculum is personalised to reflect the background and experience of our children. We ensure children explore the meaning of diversity and become thoughtful young people who celebrate living in a multi-cultural society.

Most of all, we want our children to be happy, engaged, excited and enthralled in the curriculum provided for them. If children are engaged, this leads to high levels of well-being and involvement and finally high levels of development and a deeper level of learning.

Through rich opportunities that explore our wider community and the wider world we hope to enable each child to participate in current and future society and become a caring, confident and curious young person.

Through the EYFS curriculum provided, we enable our young learners to develop skills in;

· Playing and Exploring

· Learning Actively

· Creating and Thinking Critically

We hope by providing these skills at the very beginning of a child’s journey, it will allow them to become lifelong learners.

We provide children with a calm and reflective atmosphere in which all voices are heard and listened to. We hope our children become respectful young people who show enjoyment and excitement to learn.