Reception at Ludworth
Ludworth’s Early Years Curriculum instils a passion for learning in all our children and equips them for successful lives beyond school. We intend to teach children the essential knowledge and skills to become the best form of themselves, opening doors to the future of their choice and become respectful citizens understanding their rights and responsibilities and through becoming life-long learners.
Our ambition is for all children to become curious and independent learners, developing a full appreciation of the world in which they are growing up and to feel a sense of awe and wonder about the vastness of human creativity, difference and achievement.
Our investment in relationships, communication and language.
We prioritise developing strong partnerships will all our families, from the moment you receive your child’s place at school. Through dedicating time to get to know your child, their interests, fascinations and previous experiences we can facilitate a love for learning right from the beginning of their school journey.
Pedagogical Approach
Narrative Immersion Approach and Rainbow Challenges
The highlight of each week is our storybox ritual on a Monday morning, we meet a character from our text and problem solve and explore our chosen book. We are all fully committed to delivering a narrative immersion approach, which puts reading and drama at the heart of our curriculum.
How do stories help develop learners?
- Develop children’s thinking skills.
- Teach children facts, concepts and skills that accelerate their learning in a number of curriculum areas.
- Explore, enjoy and teach about language.
- Develop many aspects of emotional intelligence, including the prime ara.
Why narrative immersion?
- It enables thematic teaching which helps embed literacy.
- Provides a vehicle for a broad and balanced curriculum.
- Is designed to accommodate coverage of many areas of the curriculum in depth.
- Builds broad conceptual and social frameworks into young minds and hearts.
- Develops a language rich environment.
- Provides a context for learning and gives it added value and purpose.
These align with our Characteristics of Effective Learning.
Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL) are an element in the current Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning identified by the EYFS are:
- Playing and Exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have ago’.
- Active Learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements.
- Creating and Thinking Critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
The focus of the CoELs is on how children learn rather than what they learn i.e. process over outcome. Underpinning the CoELs is the understanding that during their earliest years, children form attitudes about learning that will last a lifetime. Children who receive the correct support and encouragement during these years will be creative, and adventurous learners throughout their lives.
During their time within the EYFS at Ludworth Primary, we continually observe and assess who our children display these characteristics. This enables our staff to build a holistic picture of the children and ensures we can plan for their next steps. It also allows practitioners to adapt and develop the environment in which the children learn and plan of future teaching and learning opportunities, to ensure every child can continue to learn and develop these characteristics for learning.
Rainbow Challenges
Through our carefully sequenced and purposefully planned curriculum we ensure children in Reception complete both child-initiated activities as well as adult led learning opportunities within each week. Our Rainbow challenges enhance our continuous provision, providing our environment which we consider as our 3rd Teacher, to ensure children can learn and remember more whilst practising the necessary skills to aid their learning and development. We have 3 challenges over the first half term available which increases to 4 over the first half year and then up to 7 for our children to collect by the end of the academic year.
Progressively, throughout the year the challenges available for children to access increases in opportunity and level of challenge. Challenges are purposefully planned to enhance the provision and specifically target our children’s identified next steps.
Parents as Partners
We know that establishing positive parental relationships are vital to seamlessly allowing children to thrive, with parents being their child’s primary first most important teacher. We have many opportunities throughout the year where parents are welcomed into school to join their child’s learning journey.
In July, when we welcome our new starters in for transition sessions we also assign them to a ‘Success Square’ within the classroom. This is to establish a sense of belonging and also provides the opportunity for each child to take ownership of their learning from the moment they arrive in September. Each child’s Success Square showcases their learning over the half term. Then, at the end of every half term each half term, we invite parents in to share their child’s success and achievements.
In addition to this, we hold many opportunities throughout the year when we invite parents in as a secret author or to share occupations, for instance. This year this has included: maths and reading showcases where our parents have seen a range of provision activities that our child experience. There are also many opportunities, due to our open door policy, for parents to get involved and ask us any questions.