The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework in the UK that sets the standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to age 5. In primary schools, this covers children in Nursery and Reception. The EYFS provides a secure foundation for future learning by focusing on seven key areas of development, including communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. At Hardwicke, we follow the Development Matters guidance to shape and inform our curriculum, ensuring it is tailored to the needs of our children and supports their progress at every stage. This approach enables children to learn through a balance of play, exploration and adult-led activities in a safe and supportive environment, helping them to become confident, curious and ready for the next stage of their education.
Intent
In the Early Years Foundation Stage at Hardwicke, our intent is to provide a nurturing and inspiring environment where every child can flourish. Rooted in our school vision, “Do everything with Love”, we aim to develop confident, curious and compassionate learners who are ready to embrace the world around them. Our curriculum is carefully designed to support all areas of learning, including communication and language, literacy, mathematics, physical development and personal, social and emotional growth. Oracy is central, with a focus on speaking, listening and vocabulary development to help children express their ideas clearly, engage in meaningful discussions and develop critical thinking from the earliest stages.
We actively foster effective learning behaviours such as resilience, independence, curiosity, collaboration and a growth mindset, enabling children to take ownership of their learning and approach challenges with confidence. Children’s learning is enriched through rich reading books, circle times, learning challenges and strong, trusting relationships with the adults around them. Our EYFS curriculum also encourages children to become global citizens, promoting diversity, equality, sustainability and cultural awareness to help them understand and appreciate the world around them. Learning is further enhanced through visits, visitors and real-life experiences, giving children hands-on opportunities to explore, make connections and develop a love of discovery. Through this holistic approach, every child leaves the EYFS equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to thrive academically, socially and emotionally as they continue their journey at Hardwicke.
Implementation
At Hardwicke, our EYFS curriculum is carefully designed around the Early Years Statutory Framework, which sets out the requirements for learning and development and defines the prime and specific areas of learning that guide our planning. The seven areas of learning - Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Communication and Language, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design -are all carefully planned for to ensure a broad, balanced and progressive learning environment. Our curriculum is child-centred, inspired by rich experiences, engaging topics and real-life contexts that capture children’s curiosity and motivate them to learn.
Child-Centred Learning
We place children’s interests, strengths and needs at the heart of our practice. Our EYFS team takes time to build strong relationships with every child, understanding their preferences, prior knowledge and learning styles. This enables us to plan activities that are meaningful and relevant, whether through whole-class themes, small-group projects, or one-to-one interactions. Learning is delivered through a dynamic mix of adult-led instruction, guided activities and child-initiated play, ensuring that children have opportunities to develop independence, confidence and agency in their learning. Continuous provision allows children to practise and consolidate taught skills daily, developing key life skills such as problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and resilience.
We place children’s interests, strengths and needs at the heart of our practice. Our EYFS team takes time to build strong relationships with every child, understanding their preferences, prior knowledge and learning styles. This enables us to plan activities that are meaningful and relevant, whether through whole-class themes, small-group projects, or one-to-one interactions. Learning is delivered through a dynamic mix of adult-led instruction, guided activities and child-initiated play, ensuring that children have opportunities to develop independence, confidence and agency in their learning. Continuous provision allows children to practise and consolidate taught skills daily, developing key life skills such as problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and resilience.
Oracy and Communication
Oracy is central to our curriculum. Children are provided with rich opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills through circle times, story sessions, role-play, discussions and learning challenges. Staff model language, introduce new vocabulary and encourage children to express ideas, explain reasoning and engage in meaningful back-and-forth exchanges. This focus on communication not only enhances language development but also supports critical thinking, comprehension and social confidence.
Oracy is central to our curriculum. Children are provided with rich opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills through circle times, story sessions, role-play, discussions and learning challenges. Staff model language, introduce new vocabulary and encourage children to express ideas, explain reasoning and engage in meaningful back-and-forth exchanges. This focus on communication not only enhances language development but also supports critical thinking, comprehension and social confidence.
Literacy
Our literacy provision is rooted in the ELS phonics programme, ensuring that children develop a strong foundation in reading, writing, and phonological awareness. Daily phonics sessions are supported by a wide range of resources, including physical and online materials, and provide opportunities for targeted intervention where needed. A Talk for Writing approach enables children to learn stories through imitation, storytelling actions and story mapping before innovating and inventing their own narratives. Continuous provision and weekly writing tasks provide further opportunities for children to practise literacy skills independently.
Our literacy provision is rooted in the ELS phonics programme, ensuring that children develop a strong foundation in reading, writing, and phonological awareness. Daily phonics sessions are supported by a wide range of resources, including physical and online materials, and provide opportunities for targeted intervention where needed. A Talk for Writing approach enables children to learn stories through imitation, storytelling actions and story mapping before innovating and inventing their own narratives. Continuous provision and weekly writing tasks provide further opportunities for children to practise literacy skills independently.
Mathematics
Mathematics is taught through dedicated sessions and continuous provision, following the White Rose Maths scheme and supported by NCETM Numberblocks. Children explore number, pattern, and problem-solving using concrete resources and real-life contexts, beginning with mastery of numbers 0–5 and progressing to numbers 0–10 and 0–20. Mathematical learning is embedded across the curriculum, allowing children to apply skills in meaningful ways and develop confidence as young mathematicians.
Mathematics is taught through dedicated sessions and continuous provision, following the White Rose Maths scheme and supported by NCETM Numberblocks. Children explore number, pattern, and problem-solving using concrete resources and real-life contexts, beginning with mastery of numbers 0–5 and progressing to numbers 0–10 and 0–20. Mathematical learning is embedded across the curriculum, allowing children to apply skills in meaningful ways and develop confidence as young mathematicians.
Characteristics of Effective Learning
The Characteristics of Effective Learning - Playing and Exploring, Active Learning, and Creating and Thinking Critically - are at the core of our approach. Children are encouraged to investigate, experiment, and take risks in their learning, both indoors and outdoors. They are supported to persevere, show curiosity, and develop their own ideas, making links between experiences and solving problems creatively. Weekly Forest School sessions in our copse provide a unique setting to develop leadership, collaboration, risk-taking, and resilience while promoting mental health and wellbeing. These sessions also integrate all seven areas of learning in a natural, dynamic environment.
The Characteristics of Effective Learning - Playing and Exploring, Active Learning, and Creating and Thinking Critically - are at the core of our approach. Children are encouraged to investigate, experiment, and take risks in their learning, both indoors and outdoors. They are supported to persevere, show curiosity, and develop their own ideas, making links between experiences and solving problems creatively. Weekly Forest School sessions in our copse provide a unique setting to develop leadership, collaboration, risk-taking, and resilience while promoting mental health and wellbeing. These sessions also integrate all seven areas of learning in a natural, dynamic environment.
Understanding the World and Expressive Arts
Children develop their understanding of the world through first-hand experiences, visits, visitors, and purposeful play. They explore different cultures, communities and environments, observing change and making connections to their own lives. Expressive Arts and Design are woven throughout the curriculum, allowing children to experiment with materials, tools, techniques and media, as well as engage in music, movement, performance and imaginative role-play.
Children develop their understanding of the world through first-hand experiences, visits, visitors, and purposeful play. They explore different cultures, communities and environments, observing change and making connections to their own lives. Expressive Arts and Design are woven throughout the curriculum, allowing children to experiment with materials, tools, techniques and media, as well as engage in music, movement, performance and imaginative role-play.
Family Engagement and Assessment
We value strong partnerships with families and carers. Children’s learning and progress are shared through Dojo, stay-and-play sessions, Parents Evenings and regular communication. Formative assessments and observations inform planning, ensuring that next steps are personalised to each child and that learning builds cumulatively. Staff continuously reflect on practice, adapting provision to meet the unique needs of each cohort and individual child.
We value strong partnerships with families and carers. Children’s learning and progress are shared through Dojo, stay-and-play sessions, Parents Evenings and regular communication. Formative assessments and observations inform planning, ensuring that next steps are personalised to each child and that learning builds cumulatively. Staff continuously reflect on practice, adapting provision to meet the unique needs of each cohort and individual child.
Balance of Indoor and Outdoor Learning
Learning takes place across carefully organised indoor and outdoor environments, designed to promote independence, choice, and engagement. Outdoor provision is used throughout the year in a variety of weather conditions, enabling children to develop physical skills, explore the natural world and engage with active, sensory-rich experiences.
Learning takes place across carefully organised indoor and outdoor environments, designed to promote independence, choice, and engagement. Outdoor provision is used throughout the year in a variety of weather conditions, enabling children to develop physical skills, explore the natural world and engage with active, sensory-rich experiences.
Holistic Development
Through this comprehensive, play-based and child-centred approach, children develop essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that prepare them for lifelong learning. They leave the EYFS with strong foundations in communication, literacy, numeracy, personal development, creativity and critical thinking. Every element of our curriculum reflects our school vision to Do everything with Love, ensuring that children feel valued, nurtured, and inspired to flourish academically, socially, and emotionally.
Through this comprehensive, play-based and child-centred approach, children develop essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that prepare them for lifelong learning. They leave the EYFS with strong foundations in communication, literacy, numeracy, personal development, creativity and critical thinking. Every element of our curriculum reflects our school vision to Do everything with Love, ensuring that children feel valued, nurtured, and inspired to flourish academically, socially, and emotionally.
At Hardwicke, our Early Years curriculum is guided by the Early Learning Goals (ELGs), which set out the expected levels of development for children by the end of Reception. These goals underpin our aims and ensure every child is supported to achieve their very best, in line with our vision to Do everything with Love.
Through these ELGs, we ensure that our children develop the knowledge, skills, and characteristics of effective learning that provide strong foundations for the future. Our curriculum is purposeful, play-based, and rooted in first-hand experiences, inside and outside the classroom, always shaped by our commitment to love, kindness, and high aspirations.
Impact
The impact of our EYFS curriculum at Hardwicke is seen in the development of well-rounded, happy, and confident children who embody our school vision to “Do everything with Love” and live out our core values of Friendship, Perseverance, Respect, Service, Forgiveness and Courage. By the end of Reception, children are prepared not only academically for Year 1 but also socially and emotionally, demonstrating independence, resilience, curiosity and a strong sense of self, while reflecting our values in their everyday interactions and choices.
Children’s progress is monitored throughout the year using a combination of formative and summative assessments, informed by teachers’ and other adults’ knowledge of each child, alongside observations, photographs, and videos recorded on Dojo. Sonar is used to track progress from varied starting points, ensuring that all children, including vulnerable groups such as those with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, and summer-born children, make good progress. Assessment judgements are moderated both internally and externally with local schools to maintain consistency and accuracy.
Our curriculum ensures children achieve the Early Learning Goals across all seven areas of learning, while also nurturing the Characteristics of Effective Learning: playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically. These skills enable children to approach challenges with perseverance and courage, to work collaboratively and to think creatively and independently.
The values of Friendship, Respect, Service, Forgiveness, and Courage are embedded throughout children’s learning experiences, helping them to develop empathy, responsibility and moral awareness. Love underpins every interaction, supporting children to feel safe, valued and cared for. These principles link directly to our Love, Learn, Live ethos: children learn to love themselves, others and the world around them; they develop a lifelong love of learning and knowledge; and they are encouraged to live out their values through positive relationships, choices, and contributions to their community.
Through rich, purposeful experiences - both indoors and outdoors, including weekly Forest School sessions - children leave the EYFS confident, curious and capable, ready to continue their learning journey. They carry with them the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to thrive academically, socially and emotionally and to flourish as compassionate, courageous and responsible members of their school and the wider world.
Assessment
Assessment in the EYFS is ongoing and lies at the heart of high-quality early years provision. At Hardwicke, we use a range of approaches to build an accurate and meaningful picture of every child’s learning journey. Formative assessment is continuous and based on observations of children during both self-chosen play and planned activities, allowing us to capture their achievements, interests and next steps in real time. Alongside this, we carry out summative assessments at key points to provide a snapshot of each child’s progress and development. These assessments are recorded in Class Floor Books and in each child’s personal Challenge Journals, which celebrates their experiences, skills and learning over time. Staff use these records, together with assessment data and their deep knowledge of each child, to complete the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) at the end of Reception. This ensures we can support every child effectively, plan for their next stage of learning and share their achievements meaningfully with families.
Forest School
Forest School plays a vital role in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and primary education by providing children with hands-on, nature-based learning experiences that support their holistic development. At our school, we run Forest School weekly, making the most of every outdoor opportunity to engage children with the natural world. Through regular sessions, children develop physical skills such as balance, coordination and strength, while also enhancing their social and emotional growth by working collaboratively, taking risks safely and building confidence. Forest School encourages curiosity, creativity and problem-solving as children explore natural environments, fostering a love for learning and a deep connection to nature. Additionally, it supports key areas of the EYFS curriculum, including communication, language and understanding of the world, making it an invaluable approach to nurturing well-rounded, resilient and independent learners.
Our Approach to Safety
- Caring Environment: We create a welcoming, warm, and loving atmosphere where children can explore and learn without fear.
- Supervised Learning: Our classrooms and outdoor spaces are closely supervised and our staff are trained to recognise and respond to any safety concerns immediately.
- Health and Wellbeing: Children are taught simple rules about hygiene, staying healthy and looking after themselves and each other.
- Emotional Safety: We support children to express feelings, build resilience and resolve conflicts in kind and constructive ways.
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Continuous Learning: Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and child protection, keeping us up to date with best practices to keep your child safe.