Early Years Foundation Stage

Welcome to Early Years

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the education period for young people from birth to the age of 5 years old.

In our Foundation Stage at Stella Maris Catholic Primary we have one reception class called the Imps Class.

Early Years Team

Class Teachers: Mrs Jukes and Mrs Roberts

Teaching Assistants: Mrs Green, Mrs Sage & Mrs Burrows

EYFS - Intent

In EYFS at Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, our enriching curriculum is designed to build upon and recognise the children’s learning from their previous settings, as well as their experiences at home; allowing the children to be part of an exciting experiential learning at school. Each and every child at Stella Maris is recognised as a special and unique individual, who is celebrated for their differences. The ability to learn is reinforced by the teaching of our Gospel values - love, care, share, trust and respect. We strive to provide wonderful opportunities to engage learning and encourage the children to have a lifelong love for learning. We strongly believe that our school should be a happy and loving place where all children feel safe and valued, as well as having the courage to take risks and make mistakes.

Throughout their time in EYFS, we want the children to develop a strong sense of belonging to our school family and community, getting ready to transition into Year One. Over the year in EYFS, the children will grow in strength and confidence to make choices, self-evaluate and become lifelong learners, who are kind and thoughtful young people.

-We aim to work together with parents and carers to encourage happy, independent learners who strive to do their very best and reach their God given potential.

-We aim to understand and follow the children’s interests and enthusiasm by providing opportunities throughout the EYFS curriculum to support their learning, consolidate and strengthen their knowledge and skills, helping them to reach their goals.

-We aim to create an inspiring indoor and outdoor environment that supports and excites the children’s learning.

-We aim to prepare the children to reach their Early Learning Goals at the end of the Foundation Stage, making sure that each child makes good progress from their individual starting points.

-We aim to support and help with the transition into Year One.

-We plan the curriculum allowing the children to develop their essential knowledge and skills on a daily basis

-We aim to develop the children’s spirituality, interdependence, creativity, independence, thinking skills and ability to challenge themselves.

EYFS - Implementation

Throughout EYFS at Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, we follow the Early Years Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, updated in March 2021 by the DFE. The framework informs us of the requirements for learning and development in the Early Years and provides us with prime and specific areas of learning we must cover in our curriculum.

At Stella Maris we deliver a curriculum that is child centred and allows for those wonderful experiences which invite the children to become active, independent learners who are motivated and interested. We take time to learn about the children and their interests in order to support their learning. All areas of the curriculum are taught progressively and the children are provided with ample opportunities to learn new skills, gain new knowledge and demonstrate an understanding through the seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.

Literacy
Mathematics
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

Children in EYFS learn so much through exploration, play, being active, being creative and being given the chance to become critical thinkers, both indoors and outdoors. Teaching and learning staff provide stimulating and ever changing learning environments which encourage early language development. Learning is celebrated through displays which support current learning and allow the children to take ownership and pride in their achievements. Our outdoor area is used all year round and staff ensure that all activities support the Characteristics of Effective Learning.

All children perform in a Nativity, are celebrated in our weekly celebration assembly, participate in whole class assemblies as well as school trips. They are visited by a number of people who help us in the community. They plant bulbs and seeds, watch them grow and eat their produce. They cook different foods, celebrate other religions and have a Year Six Buddy. To support our wider curriculum, we provide many opportunities for parents and carers to come into school and work with their child, share their work and celebrate their wonderful success. We keep parents informed of their child’s learning with weekly newsletters, allowing them to support their child at home and to help us ensure that the children are happy and doing their very best. We also provide parent workshops, parent and child prayer breakfasts, reports, emails to inform of ‘wow’ moments etc.

We also support the children with their transition into Year One for both child and parents. We prepare the children with visits to their new classroom, meeting their new teacher and ensuring that the environments are inviting. We also provide transition books to those children that need them.

At Stella Maris we continue to strive to ensure that all of our children’s progress across the whole EYFS curriculum is good from their different starting points. We work really hard to also ensure that the children reach their Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception and evidence from the Children’s Learning Journeys support all of the above areas of the EYFS curriculum. We track pupils achieving age related expectations throughout the academic year, allowing us to put interventions in place if and when they are needed. The class teachers continually make observations to make formative assessments which help with planning and making sure that the children continue to build on their prior knowledge and skills at a good pace.

EYFS - Impact

Children at Stella Maris make good progress from their varied starting points. They leave the Reception class with a love of learning and a confidence to extend their own learning. They transition well into Year One with the knowledge and skills needed for their next stage of learning. They are able to access learning with a good level of independence and they show a curiosity of the world around them. They have gained resilience and see mistakes as opportunities to learn. They have become good problem solvers and their questions skills are developing.

The Impact of our curriculum is also measured by the effectiveness it has on helping our children to become gentle, compassionate, well-rounded individuals who embody our Gospel values and demonstrate these in their everyday lives.

Our Expectations in EYFS

Our Expectations in EYFS.....

To have lots of fun in our learning and to make wonderful memories together.

To use our School Gospel Values of Love, Care, Share, Trust and Respect!

To have a positive attitude towards our learning and to embrace new challenges.

To become independent learners over the year.

Our Curriculum in EYFS

Our curriculum enables there to be no limits or barriers to our children's achievements. We want all children to reach their God given potential. Our curriculum allows for high ambition and encourages all children to be deeply engaged. It also allows the children to build upon their love for learning. All children will be able to access our curriculum and together we overcome any difficulties! We recognise that play is fundamental to a child’s learning and development. Through play, children explore, imagine, and make sense of the world around them. These meaningful and engaging experiences help children build essential skills such as problem-solving, creativity, resilience, and social understanding.

"It is not how much we give, but how much love we put into the giving." Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Our Outdoor Learning

At Stella Maris, we absolutely love taking our learning outside. Our outdoor learning helps support our ambitious curriculum and allows all of our children to develop their knowledge and skills across all seven areas of learning. It also allows our children to learn through high levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment. Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) team is committed to providing a rich, stimulating environment, both inside and outside, where every child can flourish. Carefully planned play opportunities ensure that learning is both enjoyable and developmentally appropriate. Practitioners play a crucial role by observing and participating in children’s play, introducing new ideas, and engaging in high-quality interactions that extend children’s thinking and deepen their understanding.

Mental Health and Wellbeing within the Early Years

To ensure every child is happy, engaged, and making meaningful progress, we use the Leuven Scales for Well-Being and Involvement. These tools help us monitor how secure and content children feel in our setting (well-being), as well as how deeply they are engaged in their learning experiences (involvement).

Well-Being: A child with high well-being feels relaxed, confident, and safe to express themselves—often showing signs of happiness, curiosity, and emotional security. A child with high involvement is deeply absorbed in their activity, demonstrating focus, persistence, and a strong drive to explore and learn. By using the Leuven Scales, we can identify children who may benefit from additional support and make informed adjustments to our environment and teaching approaches. Whether it’s re organising resources, planning targeted activities, or simply engaging in a meaningful conversation, we are committed to ensuring every child feels valued, supported, and ready to succeed.

Other Useful Resources

At Stella Maris our Early Years practitioners use Development Matters to support the early learning of young children through daily observations, assessment, and planning. It also serves as a helpful guide for making best-fit summative judgements at various points throughout the EYFS. The age and stage bands within Development Matters are intentionally overlapping, as they represent typical ranges of development rather than fixed age boundaries. It is important to remember that babies, toddlers, and young children grow and learn at their own pace and in their own unique ways.

The EYFS development statements—and their sequence—are not prescriptive steps that every child must follow. They should not be used as checklists, but rather as flexible tools to support individual learning journeys.

Getting Ready for School - Starting Reception

Development Matters

Early Years Framework