Curriculum

Intent

Wheatfields Infants’ and Nursery School is an inclusive school. We offer a broad, creative and engaging curriculum which encourages all pupils to love learning through a thematic cross curricular approach. We deliver a curriculum that provides learning and opportunities for all children to develop their knowledge and skills both academically and to develop the whole child.

Implementation

Our curriculum is planned and sequenced to ensure progression, continuity and opportunities to build on existing understanding which is delivered in a dynamic and innovative way, whilst also addressing delays and gaps in learning, including those arising from the pandemic.

We ensure that the children are taught to become more effective speakers and listeners to ensure that they understand themselves, each other and the world around them.

A safe learning environment encourages the children to participate in all areas of the curriculum, develop their curiosity, creativity, flexibility and to try new things. Our curriculum documents that have been created by our staff team, have been written so that they not only cover the statutory Early Years Foundation stage ( Nursery and Reception) but also National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and in Year 2). We are confident that our internally developed curriculum not only meets the minimum expectations but goes far beyond allowing us to support the differing needs of all our children.

Teachers assess the children regularly to support learners to embed new knowledge and skills and also to inform future teaching.

We deliver a curriculum that is broad and balanced and uses the outdoor classroom on a regular basis to excite and engage the children. The children experience a wide range of visits and trips to support their learning in different areas of the curriculum. The children also welcome visitors to school who are able to enrich their learning through activities, performances and assemblies.

Impact

Our curriculum enables our children to:

feel safe in school and confident that all adults in school are there to look after them.
understand how to keep themselves safe and to build respectful and secure relationships with others.
have high levels of well-being, understand their emotions and know how to regulate them.
are effective speakers and listeners who better understand themselves, each other and the world around them.
have an understanding of themselves as learners, so that they can become resilient, resourceful, reciprocal and reflective.
have the ability to recap and recall prior learning and further build on their knowledge and skills.
understand and respect difference and to celebrate diversity and embrace our local and global community.
develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding through learning experiences both in school and in the wider community.
develop an appreciation of the natural world.
to be well prepared for the next stage of their education.

At Wheatfields we recognise that children develop at different rates and some children will need additional support to enable them to acquire the key skills and knowledge, whereas others need to be challenged further to deepen their understanding.

Please click on the links at the bottom of the page to find out more about each subject.

Foundation Stage

Children develop more rapidly during the first five years of their lives than at any other time. The children are given time to become familiar with the school setting, get to know their peers and settle into the routines of the class. The children follow a play based curriculum that allows them to explore independently, with their peers or alongside an early years practitioner. They are supported in accessing a broad spectrum of learning that is both exciting and challenging and is designed to develop their curiosity and love of learning.

In both Nursery and Reception the teachers follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2021. This outlines how practitioners support the children and they follow the guiding principles that shape practice in the Early Years.

every child is an unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates.

Click to find out more about EYFS

Updated EYFS Statutory Framework

Updated Non - Statutory guidance birth to five (Sept 2023)

Key Stage 1

In Year 1 and Year 2 the children follow the National Curriculum 2014 in all subjects. When the children start Year 1 they transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and teachers are experienced in ensuring that learning is seamless as they move to follow the National Curriculum.

National Curriculum in England 2014