Early Years
Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum Intent
At Darley Dale Primary School our curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning, both from previous settings and their experiences at home. We work in partnership with parents, carers and other pre-school settings to provide our pupils the best possible start, ensuring each individual reaches their full potential from their various starting points. Our curriculum has been designed to enable children to succeed through cooperative and collaborative learning principles. As such, there is a strong emphasis on the Prime Areas of Learning; Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, and Communication and Language.
Our enabling environment and warm, skilful adult interactions support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration right from the start. We believe that high level engagement ensures high level attainment. We therefore provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as promoting the unique child by offering extended periods of play and sustained thinking. Each term we theme our learning around a new topic, and follow children’s interests and ideas to foster a lifelong love of learning both in and outside of school. Key skills in Maths and English are taught through short, directed, teacher-led activities throughout the week, including daily phonics lessons.
At Darley Dale Primary, we recognise that Emotional Literacy not only improves academic outcomes, but is a life skill to ensure success beyond school; it develops children’s thinking and understanding, which in turn promotes self-confidence, resilience and empathy which support the child’s well-being. Our skilled Early Years team work to develop children’s Emotional Literacy, through supported child-initiated play and our weekly Forest School sessions. By the end of the Reception year, our intent is to ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points, and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year 1.