At the Meadows we promote a creative and stimulating curriculum in Early Years; we do this by providing an enriched, topic-based approach through a variety of stimulating and exciting themes.  Some of these are 'static' and return every year to ensure Curriculum coverage (as directed in the Programmes of Study) and are 'tweeked' yearly to meet the needs of each particular Reception cohort.  Other themes are created from the, 'Learning Stories' that we compile during Child Initiated Play.  We then use the children's interests to create a topic which is unique to particular cohorts e.g. one year we had a, 'Music around the World' theme as the children were particularly interested in music and instruments that year and in another year we had a, 'Room on the Broom' theme to reflect the cohort's interests and play.  Consequently, this results in a Curriculum that the children are enthusiastic about and keen to learn.
We believe that strong foundations for learning are laid in the Early Years that allow children to thrive in all subjects through the rest of the school.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
(Children 4-5 years)

Within each of these areas there are a defined set of skills, knowledge and competencies, which children work towards achieving by the end of Reception. 

Click on the link below to view the 17 'Early Learning Goals.'

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Underlying each of the 17 areas of learnings, are the, 'Characteristics of Effective Learning.'  These describe the behaviours children need to use in order to learn effectively and they include:

1.  Playing and Exploring,

2.  Active Learning,

3.  Creating and Thinking Critically.

We are constantly encouraging and enabling all children to demonstrate all of the above behaviours.  Please click on the document below for more detail.