This rationale is written using the DfE Seven Key Features of Effective Practice (Development Matters).

Our EYFS approach is driven by our core vision of "Play, Learn and Grow Together."

At Ordsall Primary School, we believe in the ancient proverb:
"I hear things, and I forget them. I see things, and I remember them. I do things, and I understand them."

This principle is at the heart of our Early Years provision. We ensure that learning is engaging, hands-on, and meaningful by providing contextualised and creative learning opportunities across the entire curriculum. Through first-hand experiences, children not only understand and remember what they learn but also develop the ability to learn how to learn—building the essential skills to apply knowledge, problem-solve, and develop lifelong learning strategies.

Our mission is to create a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child can "be the best that they can be." We recognise that strong Early Years foundations are critical to enabling each child to achieve their full potential.

 

How We Embed Our Vision into EYFS

Playing Together

Through play-based learning, we encourage children to:

• Develop curiosity of mind and spirit.
• Create, explore, and discover new ideas.
• Adapt and cooperate with others.
• Learn, practise, and master fundamental skills in a meaningful context.

Learning Together

In the Early Years, we provide an environment that allows children to:

• Experience wider opportunities beyond the classroom.
• Build essential knowledge and understanding through active, hands-on learning.
• Develop resilience, confidence, and independence through carefully designed experiences.
• Communicate and collaborate as part of a team.
• Engage in a broad, balanced, and exciting curriculum that nurtures a love for learning.

Growing Together

We instil values that support children's personal, social, and emotional development by helping them:

• Recognise that everyone has equal rights and needs.
• Understand what is right and wrong and develop a strong moral compass.
• Cultivate tolerance, acceptance, and integrity.
• Inspire others and celebrate every achievement.
• Work together in partnership with peers, families, and the wider community.

 

Embedding Our RESPECT Values in EYFS

Our RESPECT values—Resilience, Effort, Support, Passion, Enrichment, Compassion, and Teamwork—are fundamental in shaping how we work, behave, and learn in the Early Years.

• Resilience: We encourage children to embrace challenges, take risks, and learn from mistakes.
• Effort: We instil a strong work ethic, helping children to persevere and try their best.
• Support: We foster a caring environment where children support and help each other.
• Passion: We create learning experiences that ignite curiosity and enthusiasm.
• Enrichment: We provide engaging, real-world learning opportunities that broaden children's experiences.
• Compassion: We nurture empathy and kindness, helping children develop strong relationships.
• Teamwork: We encourage collaboration and cooperative learning, ensuring every child feels valued and included.

 

Commitment to High-Quality Early Years Provision

At Ordsall Primary School, we provide high-quality care and education for all children in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and our accompanying school policies. Our Early Years environment is designed to inspire, support, and challenge every child, ensuring they have the best possible start on their educational journey.

By embedding our Vision, Mission, and Values into our Early Years practice, we lay strong foundations for children's future success—academically, socially, and emotionally.

Purpose of the Rationale

The purpose of this rationale is to ensure a consistent approach to all aspects of Early Years practice in Nursery and Reception by:

• Enabling all Early Years staff to provide a curriculum that considers children’s starting points and ensures they make progress, regardless of their starting point.
• Supporting staff in identifying children who may be disadvantaged and require intervention to catch up and keep up.
• Helping staff to quickly recognise children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who may need targeted interventions or individualised learning goals.
• Ensuring all staff deliver learning using effective Early Years pedagogy.
• Reinforcing the importance of working in partnership with parents to support children’s learning.
• Supporting staff to use formative assessment effectively and understand early years summative assessment methodology.
• Ensuring that all children are fully prepared for the next phase of their education.

 

1. The Best for Every Child

At Ordsall Primary School, we are committed to providing the highest quality education for all children in Early Years. We achieve this by ensuring we gather comprehensive information about each child as early as possible.

We do this by:

• Conducting an informal assessment through discussions with parents when children join Nursery or Reception.
• Completing the statutory Reception Baseline Assessment.
• Carrying out an informal observational speech and language assessment on entry.
• Gathering information from parents and previous Early Years providers.
• Maintaining close partnerships with parents and families throughout the year.

All this information is collated to create a context for each child, informing both curriculum content and pedagogy.

For example, at Ordsall Primary School:

• Children require a strong focus on personal, social and emotional development (PSED) and communication and language. This informs our choice of texts and learning experiences.
• Previous and parallel settings are contacted, and observations are made to ensure continuity in care and learning.

Supporting Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Children

• Some children in our school have experienced trauma in their home lives. We provide staff training to identify and support these children effectively and apply necessary adaptations to help them reach their full potential.
• Some children are entitled to Pupil Premium (PP) funding, meaning they may face additional disadvantages. We ensure they access an ambitious, broad, and sequential curriculum designed to meet their needs.
• Play is central to our approach, both indoors and outdoors, to develop children’s character, skills, curiosity, creativity, and resilience (see the school Pupil Premium Strategy).
• We embrace inclusion—all children, including those with SEND, are at the heart of everything we do. Adaptations are made to the curriculum to ensure all children are fully included and encouraged to be the best they can be.

Early Identification and SEND Support

• We take a robust approach to early identification of SEND and address needs as soon as possible.
• Our SENCO, alongside the SEND team and all staff, monitors and identifies needs as part of our graduated response.
• We collaborate with external agencies to support staff in adapting provision, teaching, and learning for SEND pupils.
• Interventions (e.g. ELSA) are used as needed to support children’s learning and development.

Cultural Capital and High Expectations

• We ensure all children develop the cultural capital needed for success.
• Clear boundaries and high expectations help children feel safe and secure.
• A well-maintained, structured learning environment exemplifies our high standards.

 

2. High-Quality Care

• All staff have access to professional development to ensure they continuously enhance their skills and understanding.
• Children are taught in a nurturing environment, where strong relationships with key adults help them feel a sense of belonging, boosting their self-esteem and confidence.
• Transitions are carefully planned, ensuring continuity in learning between settings (e.g. nurseries, childminders, playgroups).
• Children joining Reception from other settings are invited to pre-visits in the summer term before they start.
• All Early Years policies and procedures align with whole-school policies.

3. The Curriculum

• Our bespoke curriculum is language-rich, based on high-quality texts, and covers all seven areas of learning defined by the EYFS framework.
• We aim for every child to reach the Early Learning Goals (ELG) in the prime areas, Literacy, and Maths, enabling them to achieve a good level of development.
• Our curriculum is progressive, well-sequenced, and adapted based on children’s needs and interests.
• Defined checkpoints ensure learning is regularly assessed, misconceptions are identified, and teaching is adapted accordingly.
• A play-based, hands-on approach supports our vision of Play, Learn and Grow Together.
• Language development is prioritised, particularly in:
  • Personal, social, and emotional development.
  • Book and experience-based vocabulary.
  • Adult-led high-quality interactions.

Curriculum Resources

• White Rose Maths for Mathematics.
• Charanga for Music.
• Read, Write, Inc. (RWI) for phonics.
• Drawing Club and Children’s Kitchen experiences.
• Our own RESPECT curriculum, embedding our school values.

 

4. Early Reading

We are ambitious for all children to achieve the Early Learning Goal in reading by the end of Reception. We achieve this by:

• Prioritising language development, introducing key vocabulary and sentence structures progressively.
• Selecting high-quality texts (fiction, non-fiction, and poetry) that are read to or with children at least twice a day.
• Teaching RWI phonics daily in Reception (starting in Nursery in the summer term).
• Encouraging home reading, providing books matched to phonics ability, plus an additional reading-for-pleasure book.
• Ensuring books are available throughout continuous provision.
• Creating engaging reading areas where children can discuss and explore texts.

 

5. Assessment

Our formative and summative assessments provide a clear picture of children’s progress.

Assessment Methods

• Baseline assessments in Nursery and Reception.
• Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) within six weeks of starting Reception.
• Ongoing observations and discussions to inform assessment checkpoints.
• RWI assessments at the end of Nursery and half-termly in Reception.
• Termly summative assessments, followed by pupil progress meetings.
• SEND pupils assessed against IEP targets and Early Years assessment checkpoints.
• EYFS Profile assessments in summer, moderated internally and externally.
• Transition meetings to ensure a smooth move to Year 1.
• Regular parental engagement, with formal reports and parents' meetings.

 

6. Self-Regulation and Executive Function

We teach children to:

• Identify emotions using Zones of Regulation.
• Express their needs with clear, structured language.
• Follow routines and boundaries to develop independence.
• Embody the school’s RESPECT values in daily interactions.

 

7. Partnership with Parents

We value parents as partners and involve them in learning through:

• Phonics workshops and transition visits.
• Weekly updates on learning to support home learning.
• Regular parent-teacher meetings.
• SEND parents' meetings for IEP discussions.