Welcome to Early Years at Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery 

Vision

At Lainesmead Primary and Nursery, we envision a vibrant, nurturing community where every EYFS child grows into an independent, resilient and respectful learner. We are dedicated to creating a safe, loving environment where curiosity, cooperation and compassion guide every interaction. In our Nursery, children thrive as they initiate play, develop essential communication and motor skills and embrace independence in self-care. Building on this strong foundation in Reception, we inspire confident, inquisitive learners who eagerly explore, ask questions and form meaningful relationships. Together, our committed team ensures that every child feels safe, valued and empowered to excel in their friendships, learning and personal growth.

We follow the EYFS Statutory Framework, which sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to age five.

Our Curriculum Intent

Our intent is to nurture happy, confident, resilient learners who are ready for the next stage of their education. We celebrate each child as a unique individual and provide an inclusive, nurturing environment that promotes:

- A strong sense of belonging and well-being

- Independence and self-confidence

- Communication and language development

- A love for exploration, discovery and creativity

We aim to ensure that every child makes good progress from their starting points in Nursery and leaves the Reception year ready to thrive in Key Stage 1.

Our Curriculum Implementation

Our curriculum is designed around the seven areas of learning and development:

Prime Areas:

- Communication and Language

- Physical Development

- Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Specific Areas:

- Literacy

- Mathematics

- Understanding the World

- Expressive Arts and Design

We provide a balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning. Children are supported through carefully planned provocations and high-quality interactions that build on their interests and prior experiences. Our environments include indoor and outdoor continuous provision, allowing children to explore, take risks, and develop their own lines of enquiry.

Key features of our implementation include:

- Free-flow access to a well-planned learning environment

- ‘Planning in the Moment’ and play-based learning

- In Reception, daily phonics, reading, and maths sessions

- In Nursery, daily phonics, vocabulary and maths sessions

- Regular welly walks and local visits to enrich real-world experiences

- Strong home-school links, including parent workshops and Stay & Play sessions

We embed the following Characteristics of Effective Learning across our provision:

- Playing and exploring

- Active learning

- Creating and thinking critically

Our Curriculum Impact

We use a variety of assessment methods to track children’s progress to inform our teaching:

- Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) in the first six weeks of school

- Ongoing observations and assessments through play and interactions

- Use of the Interactive Learning Diary (ILD) to record and share learning

- Parent-teacher meetings in autumn and spring, with a full written report in the summer

- EYFS Profile completed at the end of Reception, shared with parents and Year 1 teachers

- Children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) and their achievement of a Good Level of Development (GLD)

Our curriculum has high aspirations for all learners. It ensures that children are well-prepared academically, emotionally, and socially to transition into Year 1, equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to continue their learning journey.

Find Out More

To learn more, you can read our full EYFS Policy, the Statutory framework or get in touch with our EYFS Lead via the school office.