Early Years Curriculum

Our Early Years curriculum is designed to create a nurturing and inclusive environment where children:

•Build secure attachments with their teachers and peers, forming the strong relationships needed for emotional security and confidence.

•Experience a mini world where they can thrive, explore, practice, make mistakes and learn through purposeful play and meaningful contexts, making mistakes as part of their growth.

•Feel happy and safe, fostering a love for learning and curiosity about the world around them.

•Develop strong foundations in skills, knowledge, and dispositions to ensure they are ready for the transition into Key Stage One.

•Engage in high-quality interactions and conversations that enrich their vocabulary and deepen their understanding of the world.

•Begin to recognize and understand their feelings and develop strategies to self-regulate, building resilience and emotional awareness.

•Grow into confident, curious, and motivated learners with a lifelong passion for discovery and development.

This intent ensures every child is supported to reach their full potential, setting them up for future success.

Development Matters Download our Reception Curriculum Plan Early Years - Mulberry Wood Wharf EY Curriculum 2024-2025 Reception statements from Development Matters

Assessment

At the start of the year, Reception pupils will be assessed based on the Reception Baseline Assessment.

The RBA is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, communication, language and mathematics skills when they begin school, using materials that most children of reception age will be familiar with. It became statutory for all schools from September 2021. The RBA is not about judging or labelling any child or putting them under any pressure. There is no ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ with the assessment. Its main purpose is to create a starting point to measure the progress schools make with their pupils. The teacher will receive a set of statements which provide a narrative description of how your child performed in the assessment. Parents may request to receive these statements too if they wish.

At the end of the year, the pupils will be assessed against the Early Learning Goals.

The Early Learning Goals state at what children at the expected level of development for their age will be able to do.

Assessment is integral to understanding and supporting children’s learning and development in the Early Years. We use a combination of summative and formative assessments to monitor progress, plan next steps, and ensure all children reach their potential. Our approach aligns with the statutory requirements outlined in the EYFS Framework, focusing on supporting each child’s individual learning journey.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessments provide a snapshot of a child’s development at key points in the year. These include:

Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA): Completed at the start of the Reception year, the RBA provides a starting point for measuring progress during primary school.
Early Learning Goals (ELGs): At the end of the Reception year, practitioners assess each child against the ELGs to provide a final picture of their development in the EYFS.

EY assessment policy

Reception yearly overview of entitlement
Areas of learning will be covered in medium term plans and weekly plans

Download our Reception Curriculum Plan 2024-25

What makes a good reception?

Maths

Reception – Small steps – Spring

Reception – Small steps – Autumn

	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
Topics/themes (to include seasons across the year)	Who do you think you are? Seasonal changeautumn	To infinity and beyond and traditional tales (links with materials) Seasonal changewinter	We are investigators! What if Little Red Riding Hood’s grandma lived in the arctic? (re telling of the story, new version)	Open a door (homes and people from other places in the world) Seasonal changespring	Green fingers!	Back to the future! Seasonal changesummer
Visits/visitors/ experiences	Local Café City farm	Visits from police, bus driver, doctor, nurse, vet farm worker, shopkeeper Science Museum Visit church Picnic to the moon (linked to book) Planting spring bulbs Watch ‘The snowman’ Perform nativity show (starshine musicals) Watch a pantomime (in school)	Cook stir fry for Chinese New Year Drink hot chocolate outside Visit synagogue Playing in the snow (weather dependant)	Foods from other cultures Mosque visi World book day Spring show (starshine musicals)	Planting a seed, taking photographs as the seed grows, what does a seed need to grow? Planting a seed, experimenting with what happens without sunlight, water Planting vegetables Chicks/ducklings experience	End of year trip Butterfly experience Tea party/banquet Wimbledon and strawberries Sports day Fire service visit
Key texts	NURSERY RHYMES BOOKS ON SENSES THE HUNGRY CATERPILLAR EAT UP GEMMA WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD? BROWN BEAR WHAT DO YOU SEE?	THE 3 LITTLE PIGS WHATEVER NEXT ALIENS WEAR UNDERPANTS	THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD CHINESE NEW YEAR NON FICTION MR WOLFS PANCAKE	THE GINGERBREAD MAN OPEN A DOOR- TO COUNTRIES (NON FICTION BOOKS)	THE ENORMOUS TURNIP JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (INNOVATION) OLIVERS VEGETABLE NON FICTION – LIFECYCLE BOOKS. -PLANTS -CHICKS	ANTHONY BROWN – THE TUNNEL MY MUM, MY DAD, MY GRANDMA…
Festivals (include Eid)	Halloween storytelling day Rosh hashanah- Honey cake	Bonfire night Christmas Divali Hannukah	Chinese New Year Shrove Tuesday	Mother’s day Easter St Patrick’s day St David’s day St Georges day St Andrews day		Father’s Day
Workshops (also see parent support worker for additional courses)	Learning through play Introduction to EY assessment	Phonics- reading/ writing (R) School nurse and healthy routines Costume making – Christmas show Parents evening	Mark making matters Importance of Oracy	Costume making workshop	Parents evening	Transition to Rec- Year 1 Transition to Nursery- Rec
Cooking activity every week based on children’s interests Helicopter Stories Key books have been listed above, teachers will also use books that fit with the topic including a non-fiction book focus each half term Transition preparation will be included in the summer terms. Seasons will be explored through the provision and local environment throughout the year Using the outdoor garden throughout the year Celebration assembly – weekly Half termly letter sent to parents/carers to detail the plans for the half term.
Core books that all pupils should have regular exposure to: Goldilocks and the 3 bears The Three Billy Goats Gruff Little Red Hen Owl babies The gruffalo Monkey Puzzle Handa’s surprise Jasper’s beanstalk a Squash and a squeeze The Rainbow Fish We’re going on a bear hunt What the ladybird heard

Mulberry Wood Wharf Primary
20 Brannan Street
London
E14 9ZR

0208 713 0183
admin@mulberrywoodwharf.org

Mulberry Wood Wharf Primary is part of the Mulberry Schools Trust which is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (Company No. 10035860).

Company’s registered office: Mulberry Schools Trust, Richard Street, Commercial Road, London E1 2JP.

Assessment

Summative Assessment

Reception Baseline Assessment

Early Learning Goals

Early Years Outdoors Plan

Maths in the Early Years

Maths