Kirkheaton Primary School

Welcome to Early Years, where playing is learning.

Intent Statement

At Kirkheaton Primary Academy, it is our mission to develop a life-long love of learning in all our children by working together with parents to help our children to become independent, resilient and ambitious learners.  We endeavor to provide a wide-ranging, experience-based curriculum that values the whole child and recognises the different strengths of each individual.  We also recognise that we all learn in different ways and so provide our children with a variety of indoor and outdoor purposeful, play-based learning opportunities. Language is central to children's learning in Early Years and is facilitated by meaningful interactions with adults.  Above all we strive to ensure our children are happy and safe and that they develop care, respect and appreciation for others and the changing world around them.  

At the end of Reception, each child will be assessed against 17 key areas called the Early Learning Goals (ELG's). This is known as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile. For each early learning goal, practitioners must judge whether a child is meeting the level of development expected at the end of the Reception year (‘expected’), exceeding this level (‘exceeding’), or not yet reaching this level (‘emerging’).

The completed EYFS Profile also includes a short commentary on each child’s skills and abilities in relation to the three key characteristics of effective learning. This will support future curriculum planning and will provide the Year 1 teacher with important information about each child’s approach to learning.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old.

The 7 areas of learning.

Early years learning concentrates on 7 areas split between prime and specific areas of learning, however they are not be used as checklists as each child develops at their own rate and in their own way, similarly children do not need to have achieved every part of each ELG to be deemed as at the expected level of development. Teaching is often done through play, where the child learns about subjects and other people through games.