Delivering the Curriculum

In the Early Years, children learn through a wide variety of approaches. This includes:

• Direct adult teaching input
• Learning through play in a carefully planned environment
• Learning through peers
• Learning through scaffolding during play
• Learning through small groups and focus activities
• Experiences, trips and visits

At Oasis Academy Limeside, we believe that Early Years education is important in its own right and should not be viewed simply as preparation for the next stage of children’s education. We believe that the Early Years framework allows a natural progression into the National Curriculum during the Autumn term of Year 1.

Home Learning

Home learning in Reception consists of:

• Decodable books sent home weekly for children to read 5 times a week.
• Guided Reading books sent home weekly.
• Reading for pleasure books sent home weekly.
• Name writing packs
• Phonics packs with sounds and tricky words to practice at home
• Suggestions of things to do at home to support children’s learning
• Stay and Play sessions and Workshops

Approaching the curriculum – Phonics

Phonics is delivered through Little Wandle Phonics. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised has been built around the update (Department for Education – Letters and Sounds improving rates of progress 2021) as well as drawing on the latest research into how children learn best, how to ensure learning stays in children’s long term memory and how best to enable children to apply their learning to become highly competent readers.

Approaching the curriculum – Literacy and The Write Stuff

The Write Stuff is used in EYFS to develop children’s vocabulary, talk and writing. Embedding this through the use of the FANTASTIC lenses in Nursery to promote talk and the development of vocabulary in all areas of learning lays a strong foundation for the use of the lenses to form the basis of writing in Reception and beyond. The approach is rooted in early language development, inspiring and introducing new words to children in meaningful ways to enable them to navigate the world.

Approaching the curriculum – Maths

Maths is structured across the Early Years phase to ensure a progression of skills that build from Nursery through to Reception. The approach uses NCETM Numberblocks as the main tool for learning, however it is also influenced by NCETM Mastering Number and White Rose Maths.

PE and Physical activity

Our PE lessons across the year focus on outdoor games, dance and gym which teach children not only a variety of physical skills such as throwing, catching, balancing and climbing, but also the skill of changing into our PE kits and then back into our uniforms with increasing independence as we progress throughout the year. Our EYFS PE curriculum has been closely linked to our KS1 OCL curriculum to ensure that the skills learnt in Early Years are progressive.

Physical activity is also promoted within our environments, with dedicated fine motor skills area in each classroom, handwriting is practiced daily to ensure correct letter formation and promotes the development of core strength, as well as a carefully developed outdoor area which offers opportunities for digging, climbing and building amongst many others.