St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery

At St Josephs we aim to provide a wealth of experiences which enable children to develop enquiring minds and to become independent learners within a safe, welcoming and stimulating environment. Outdoor learning is integral to this and the children spend a lot of their time connecting with nature and exploring our outdoor provision.  

Learning through play is fundamental to our teaching and we believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn in this fun, engaging and challenging way. Adults strive to get to know the children and their families to build quality relationships based on mutual respect and also to allow us to celebrate the wide range of cultural backgrounds our families come from. 

We are committed to developing a love of learning in the children and giving them the best start to their school life. 

Our curriculum in Early years is based on the 7 areas of learning from the ‘Development matters’ 2021 document

(for full document see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/development-matters--2) 

These areas of learning are;  

Prime areas – The prime areas of the EYFS curriculum are foundational. They play a significant role in encouraging children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. They underpin all learning throughout the child’s educational life as the children learn to form relationships, moderate emotions and thrive in their day to day life. 

Personal, Social & Emotional development – This area is crucial for children developing their social skills to be able to lead happy, healthy lives. By building strong, supportive relationships with the adults children are able to understand their own feelings and those of others. 

Communication and Language – The development of children’s language underpins all of their learning and development. Children’s back-and-forth interactions are effective from an early age and form the base for language and cognitive development. 

Physical Development -  is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. We focus on developing children’s gross and fine motor skills through a both indoor and outdoor play. 

Specific areas – these areas are essential skills that children will need to function successfully as part of society 

Literacy - This area focuses on the skills relating to reading and writing development. This is split between building children’s comprehension skills through reading and hearing books, learning phonics sounds to be able to decode print, and learning how to communicate through written word. 

Mathematics – developing a strong foundation in numbers is essential so that all children can develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. We explore number problems including addition and subtraction as well as recognising patterns and being able to compare and contrast. 

Understanding the world – This involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. This may be through exploring different cultures and religions, exploring the natural world or comparing how we live now to how people lived in the past 

Expressive arts and design – This area seeks to support children in expanding their imagination and ability to express themselves through the arts. This may be through different media such as drawings, sculpture, colouring or painting.  

Underpinning all of these areas are three core values; 

A unique child  - every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. As practitioners we;