Early Years Foundation Stage

In Portobello Primary we recognise the importance and value of an excellent Early Years Curriculum. Children are statutorily assessed against the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception. However, our curriculum is broader and more diverse than these Early Learning Goals. It aims to broaden and provide a deeper understanding, encompassing key life skills and experiences, as well as developing all aspects of child knowledge and skills and the core principles embedded into the Early Years Foundation Stage:

 

  •        Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
  •        Every child can learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
  •        Every child can develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents/carers
  •        All children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates

 

Our skilled Early Years staff are able to develop these aspects of child knowledge and skills, with a memorable, enjoyable and effective Early Years experience, where our children feel safe and thrive. Therefore, we design opportunities to learn and talk about the local environment in which the children live. We carefully support the children to reflect upon unexpected changes to their world and give them strategies to become resilient, honest, curious and passionate.  

 

​To ensure that all of our children make good or above progress, we insist that the starting points and prior learning of children are identified before they can begin their successful learning journey. We embrace the differences in all our children and celebrate their individual successes and achievements. Whilst some aspects of our curriculum have an element of academic challenge, which some children thrive on, we have fully embedded and believe in the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning which are:

 

  •        Playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
  •        Active learning - children concentrate, keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements
  •        Thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

 

 Our curriculum is developed to show sequences of learning with key knowledge and skills acquisition made explicit.