At Croxby Primary School, we recognise that early childhood is a crucial stage in a child’s education and development. Our ambition is to provide every child with a happy, secure and stimulating start to school, where curiosity is nurtured, confidence is built and a lifelong love of learning begins.

We offer an ambitious and inclusive Early Years curriculum, rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage, that provides rich opportunities for children to explore, investigate, think critically, make meaningful connections and create memorable experiences. Our carefully designed environment encourages independence, resilience and active learning, ensuring children are motivated and engaged from the moment they enter the classroom. Daily singing, storytelling and shared talk experiences are embedded throughout our provision to support communication, language development and a growing love of books.

It is our intent that all children develop strong foundations across all areas of learning, with particular emphasis on communication and language, early reading, physical development and early writing, preparing them effectively for the next stage of their learning journey. Through high-quality interactions and purposeful experiences, we support children’s emotional, social, physical and cognitive development within an environment that values diversity, inclusion and respect for all.

At Croxby Primary School, play lies at the heart of our Early Years curriculum. A carefully balanced approach between adult-directed learning and child-initiated play ensures children develop the strong foundations needed for future learning. Learning is planned around children’s prior knowledge and experiences, enabling our curriculum to be responsive, inclusive and bespoke to each cohort. Our provision is progressive, with routines adapting across the year to support children’s growing independence, confidence and readiness for the next stage of their education.

Our Early Years curriculum is delivered through a well-established daily structure that focuses on strong routines and evolves as the children develop throughout the year. High-quality, open-ended learning opportunities within continuous provision include role play, small world, creative activities, construction and purposeful outdoor play. Alongside this, children take part in whole group adult-led sessions in phonics, reading and writing, mathematics and thematic learning, ensuring essential skills are taught explicitly and reinforced through play.

Storytelling is central to learning and teaching in EYFS. We follow the CUSP Early Years curriculum, placing high-quality texts and rich narratives at the heart of our curriculum. Through shared stories, discussion, drama and role play, children develop vocabulary, communication skills and a deeper understanding of key concepts. Stories are revisited to strengthen understanding, support retrieval and embed learning into long-term memory.

Our learning environment is intentionally language-rich, with stories, songs, poetry, rhymes and ambitious vocabulary embedded throughout the setting. Children are given frequent opportunities to talk with peers and adults, building confidence and oracy skills. Communication and language underpin all learning, supporting children to become fluent readers through systematic phonics teaching and regular access to high-quality texts, including through our Bug Club reading scheme. A love of reading is further developed through daily story times and library experiences.

The indoor and outdoor environments are carefully designed to help children make connections across the curriculum. Defined learning areas support independence and sustained engagement, while our outdoor provision strengthens STEM opportunities, physical development through climbing, balance and core-strength activities, as well as sensory and exploratory experiences. Adult-facilitated play supports children in developing collaboration, emotional regulation and curiosity.

Children’s wellbeing and safety are central to practice. We meet all statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, actively safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare. Children’s wellbeing and involvement are carefully monitored to ensure they are happy, settled and ready to learn. Healthy lifestyles are promoted through daily access to nutritious snacks, milk and physical activity, alongside our ‘Set for Success’ personal development curriculum, which supports positive relationships, emotional literacy and an understanding of choices, consequences and rules.

We value strong partnerships with parents and carers. Learning is shared and celebrated through our social media, enabling families to engage with and contribute to their child’s learning journey. This reinforces the message that learning continues beyond the classroom and helps to build strong home–school partnerships.

Assessment is ongoing and informed by observations, interactions and professional judgement, in line with Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals. These assessments inform planning, next steps and support good progress for all children from their beginning stage, with information shared regularly with parents throughout the year.

Our systematic, inclusive and carefully balanced Early Years curriculum, combining high-quality play-based learning with focused adult‑led teaching and timely intervention, enables all children to make strong progress from their individual starting points. Consistent routines, high expectations and responsive teaching reduce barriers to learning and ensure that all children – including those with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, children with English as an additional language and summer‑born children – are supported to achieve their full potential.

As a result, children develop secure foundations for learning and wellbeing. They become confident, curious and increasingly independent learners who engage positively with learning, build strong relationships and show resilience when faced with challenge. Through rich learning experiences and high-quality interactions, children develop a positive sense of self and high expectations of what they can achieve, both in the Early Years and beyond.

By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, children at Croxby are well prepared for the transition into Year 1. They demonstrate readiness across all areas of development and have the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to continue to make good progress as they move through school. For children who continue to require additional support, this is planned for carefully through strong transition arrangements. Early Years practitioners work closely with Year 1 teachers, sharing detailed information and next steps to ensure appropriate resources, strategies and support are in place, enabling every child to transition confidently and continue to thrive.

By the end of EYFS, children will:

• Be emotionally, socially, physically and cognitively ready to transition confidently into Year 1.
• Communicate clearly and confidently, expressing thoughts and feelings and listening respectfully to others.
• Demonstrate high levels of engagement, motivation and curiosity for learning.
• Show increasing independence, resilience and self‑regulation, approaching new challenges with confidence.
• Recognise and build upon their own unique strengths, interests and talents.
• Act with kindness, respect and inclusivity, working collaboratively and showing empathy and understanding towards others.

We measure the impact of our Early Years provision through:

• Ongoing formative assessment through daily observations and interactions
• Professional judgement against Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals
• Targeted interventions to ensure children are supported to make good progress
• Termly assessment and progress reviews are shared with parents.