Welcome to EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage - 0-5 year olds)
Our EYFS vision
At Brook Acre, we are incredibly proud of our Early Years provision and the exceptional start we provide for our children and families. In 2026, we expanded our provision to include children aged 0-3 years, opening a dedicated baby and toddler room alongside our well-established Preschool and Reception classes. This seamless Early Years journey enables children to learn, grow and flourish from their earliest experiences through to the start of their school life.
Early education, care and providing the very best start for every child remain at the heart of all we do. We believe that our school and nursery are one family, and we warmly welcome families into our community from the very beginning. Strong, nurturing relationships are central to our approach, and every member of our team understands the importance of connection, trust and belonging as children transition into our Early Years setting.
At Brook Acre, we recognise that children learn best through play, meaningful experiences and positive relationships. We place a strong emphasis on developing the Prime Areas of Learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, and Physical Development. By building confidence and competence in these essential areas, we create strong foundations that enable children to thrive across all aspects of learning and development.
Our spacious, inviting learning environments and extensive outdoor spaces provide rich opportunities for exploration, discovery and curiosity. Through carefully planned experiences and responsive teaching, we inspire a love of learning while celebrating each child’s unique strengths, interests and achievements.
Our dedicated and passionate team is committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to shine. Together with families, we nurture confident, resilient and happy learners, preparing them for a successful journey through Brook Acre and beyond.
Our EYFS Curriculum
At Brook Acre, our Early Years curriculum is designed to inspire curiosity, foster a love of learning and provide every child with the strongest possible foundations for future success. Our curriculum is built around engaging half-termly topics, carefully planned using high-quality, language-rich texts and meaningful experiences that capture children's interests and imagination.
We believe that children learn best through first-hand experiences. Therefore, each topic is designed to provide as many opportunities as possible for children to explore, investigate and discover the world around them. Whether through visits, visitors, outdoor learning, creative experiences or practical challenges, we ensure that learning is brought to life in meaningful and memorable ways.
Central to our curriculum are the Characteristics of Effective Learning. We encourage children to become confident, motivated learners who are willing to explore, think critically, solve problems and challenge themselves. We nurture resilience, independence and a positive attitude towards learning, helping children to develop the confidence to have a go, take risks and learn from their experiences.
Strong relationships underpin everything we do at Brook Acre. We invest significant time in getting to know our children and families, creating a nurturing environment where every child feels safe, valued and ready to learn. Our curriculum is responsive and flexible, allowing us to adapt learning opportunities to follow children's interests and fascinations while ensuring progression across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Through a balance of child-initiated play, adult-guided experiences and purposeful interactions, we support children to make excellent progress towards age-related expectations and beyond. Our aim is not only to prepare children for the next stage of their education but to develop confident, independent and enthusiastic learners who are equipped with the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to thrive.
By the time our children leave Early Years, they have developed strong foundations in communication, physical development, personal and social skills, and a genuine excitement for learning. These foundations enable them to transition successfully into Key Stage One and continue their journey through Brook Acre with confidence, resilience and happiness.
Phonics in EYFS
At Brook Acre, we recognise that early reading is the key to future success. Our phonics journey begins in Nursery, where children develop essential listening skills through rhyme, alliteration, sound discrimination, and oral blending and segmenting activities.
As children move into Reception, they begin learning the sounds letters make before quickly progressing to digraphs, trigraphs and tricky words. Through daily phonics teaching, children develop the skills and confidence needed to become successful readers and writers.
We have high expectations for all children and carefully track progress to ensure every child succeeds. Where needed, additional support sessions are provided to help children keep up with the fast pace of phonics learning in EYFS. This ensures children develop secure foundations in reading and are well prepared for the next stage of their learning journey.
Reading in EYFS
At Brook Acre, we believe that every child should develop a lifelong love of reading. Before children learn to read independently, we immerse them in a rich range of stories, rhymes and texts. Carefully chosen books are linked to our topics and areas of learning, helping children to develop their vocabulary, imagination, and speaking and listening skills.
As children become confident with their early phonics skills, they begin to take reading books home and participate in regular 1:1 reading and group reading sessions in school. We focus on developing children's ability to recognise sounds, decode words, read with expression and fluency (prosody), and understand what they have read through strong comprehension skills.
Alongside the teaching of reading skills, we place great importance on reading for pleasure. Children are encouraged to choose books they enjoy, share stories with friends, and listen to others read. Our reading buddy programme provides opportunities for children to enjoy stories read by older pupils, helping to foster positive reading relationships and a genuine enjoyment of books.
Through our nurturing and engaging approach, we aim to develop confident, enthusiastic readers who see reading as both a valuable skill and a source of enjoyment.
Writing in EYFS
At Brook Acre, we inspire children to become confident and enthusiastic writers from the very beginning of their learning journey. We recognise that writing develops through many important stages, from early mark making and emergent writing to writing words, captions and simple sentences.
Our carefully planned curriculum provides meaningful opportunities for children to write for a range of purposes and audiences. Through exciting topics, high-quality texts, role play and real-life experiences, children are encouraged to communicate their ideas, tell stories, share information and express themselves through writing.
Children are taught the skills they need to become successful writers. As their phonics knowledge develops, they begin to apply their sounds to write words independently before progressing to captions and simple sentences. They learn how to construct sentences, orally rehearse their ideas and apply their growing understanding of language and vocabulary within their writing.
We understand that strong writing begins with strong physical development. Children take part in a range of activities to develop their fine motor skills, hand strength and coordination, helping them to hold and control writing tools effectively. Alongside this, children are taught correct letter formation, building the strong foundations needed for fluent and legible handwriting as they move through school.
By creating engaging, meaningful and purposeful writing opportunities, we help every child develop confidence, independence and a love of writing that will support them throughout their education and beyond.
Oracy in EYFS
At Brook Acre, we place communication and language at the heart of our Early Years curriculum. We believe that strong communication skills are essential for children's learning, development and wellbeing, enabling them to express their ideas, share their thoughts, build relationships and communicate their needs confidently.
Children are immersed in a language-rich environment where speaking and listening opportunities are woven throughout the day. Through high-quality stories, storytelling, songs, rhymes and conversations, children develop a broad vocabulary and learn to communicate with increasing confidence. Regular story retelling activities encourage children to recall events, sequence narratives and use new language in meaningful contexts.
We know that children learn to communicate by communicating. Therefore, we provide frequent opportunities for turn-taking, listening and responding during whole-class, small-group and child-initiated activities. Adults skilfully model language, extend children's thinking and encourage meaningful conversations to support language development.
Role play is a key feature of our curriculum. Carefully planned role-play opportunities enable children to explore new vocabulary, act out experiences, develop their imagination and practise using language for different purposes. Whether playing in a home corner, café, doctor's surgery or themed learning environment, children are encouraged to communicate, negotiate and collaborate with others.
We are committed to ensuring that every child develops the communication skills they need to succeed. Where children are not progressing as expected, targeted interventions and additional support are put in place to help accelerate language development. Through close observation and assessment, we work with families and, where appropriate, external professionals to ensure every child receives the support they need to thrive.
By nurturing confident speakers and attentive listeners, we provide children with the strong foundations they need for future learning, reading, writing and lifelong success.
Maths in EYFS
At Brook Acre, we believe that developing a strong understanding of mathematics in the early years provides children with essential foundations for future learning. Our mathematics curriculum is designed to be practical, engaging and meaningful, helping children to develop confidence and enjoyment in using maths in their everyday lives.
Children learn mathematical concepts through a combination of adult-led teaching, purposeful play and carefully planned learning opportunities. Through counting, sorting, matching, comparing, building and problem-solving, children develop their understanding of number, pattern, shape, space and measure.
Throughout the day, children are encouraged to explore mathematics in real-life contexts. Whether counting objects during play, sharing resources, comparing quantities, recognising patterns or talking about size and position, children learn that maths is all around them. Adults skilfully model mathematical language and encourage children to explain their thinking, helping them to deepen their understanding and develop confidence in using mathematical vocabulary.
Our curriculum follows a progressive approach, ensuring children build secure number knowledge and a strong understanding of mathematical concepts. Through practical resources, games, songs and hands-on experiences, children learn to recognise, represent and manipulate numbers, developing the skills needed for future mathematical success.
The learning environment is carefully designed to provide rich mathematical opportunities both indoors and outdoors. Children can investigate numbers, shapes and measures through construction, small world play, water play, creative activities and exploration of the natural world.
Wider Curriculum
At Brook Acre, we believe that children learn best through rich, meaningful and first-hand experiences. Our wider curriculum is carefully designed to inspire curiosity, creativity and a love of learning, providing children with opportunities to explore the world around them and develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for future success.
Our topics are centred around high-quality texts, children's interests and exciting experiences that provide meaningful contexts for learning. Through these carefully planned opportunities, children develop their understanding of the world, express themselves creatively and make connections across different areas of learning.
Children are encouraged to explore, investigate and ask questions through a wide range of experiences both indoors and outdoors. They learn about their local community, different cultures and traditions, the natural world, people who help us and significant events, helping them to develop an understanding of the diverse world in which they live.
Creativity is celebrated throughout our curriculum. Children have opportunities to explore a variety of artistic materials, music, movement, dance and imaginative play, allowing them to express their thoughts, ideas and emotions in different ways. Through these experiences, children develop confidence, resilience and a willingness to try new things.
Outdoor learning is a key part of our wider curriculum. Our carefully designed learning environments encourage children to explore nature, take risks, solve problems and develop their physical skills. We make the most of our outdoor spaces to provide engaging learning opportunities that support all areas of development.
Throughout the year, children enjoy a range of special events, visitors and educational visits that enhance their learning and create memorable experiences. These opportunities help to broaden children's horizons, develop their language and inspire a lifelong love of learning.
At Brook Acre, we recognise that every child is unique. Our wider curriculum is designed to nurture children's strengths, interests and talents whilst building confidence, independence and resilience. By providing a broad, balanced and experience-rich curriculum, we ensure that all children develop the strong foundations they need to thrive throughout their school journey and beyond.
SEND and Inclusion
At Brook Acre, we are proud of our highly inclusive approach and are committed to ensuring that every child feels valued, supported and able to achieve their full potential. Our dedication to inclusion has been recognised through our Centre of Excellence status, reflecting the exceptional support and opportunities we provide for children with a wide range of additional needs.
We believe that every child deserves to thrive, belong and succeed. Our highly trained staff work closely with children, families and external professionals to create personalised support that enables each child to access learning, develop confidence and make excellent progress. By understanding every child's strengths and needs, we ensure that they are given the tools, strategies and encouragement they need to flourish.
Inclusion is embedded throughout our daily practice. Children access a range of specialist programmes and targeted teaching opportunities designed to support communication, attention, social interaction, sensory regulation and independence. These include Attention Autism sessions, Sensory Circuits and TEACCH-based approaches, which help children develop key skills within a structured, engaging and supportive environment.
We are fortunate to have an extensive Sensory Room on site, providing a calming and stimulating space that can be accessed by children across the school. The sensory room offers opportunities for children to regulate their emotions, develop sensory awareness and engage in therapeutic play, supporting both their wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Our nurturing environments are carefully designed to meet a wide range of needs, ensuring that all children can access learning in ways that are meaningful and successful for them. Through adaptations, visual supports, structured routines and high-quality adult interactions, we help children develop independence, confidence and positive relationships.
At Brook Acre, inclusion is about more than meeting needs; it is about celebrating individuality and ensuring every child feels a genuine sense of belonging. We are proud to create a community where differences are embraced, strengths are recognised and every child is supported to become the very best version of themselves. Through our inclusive practice, we lay strong foundations for learning, wellbeing and lifelong success.
Transition into Year 1
At Brook Acre, we recognise that a successful transition from Reception into Year 1 is essential in ensuring children continue to feel happy, confident and ready to learn. We place great importance on this process and carefully plan transition opportunities to support every child as they move into the next stage of their education.
Transition begins well before children enter Year 1. During the summer term, Reception and Year 1 staff work closely together through an extensive handover process. This enables teachers to develop a deep understanding of each child, including their learning styles, attainment, interests, additional needs and character strengths. By sharing this knowledge, staff can ensure that every child is known, understood and supported from day one.
Children are provided with a range of opportunities to become familiar with their new classroom environment, teachers and routines. Regular visits, shared activities and time spent with Year 1 staff help children build positive relationships and develop confidence in their new surroundings. These experiences ensure that transition feels exciting and familiar rather than overwhelming.
Our Reception and Year 1 teams work collaboratively to ensure continuity in teaching and learning. By understanding how children learn best and building upon the strong foundations established in the Early Years Foundation Stage, we are able to provide a smooth progression into the Year 1 curriculum while maintaining opportunities for active, practical and engaging learning.
We recognise that every child experiences change differently. As a result, transition arrangements are tailored where necessary to meet individual needs. For some children, additional visits, personalised support or enhanced communication with families may be provided to ensure they feel secure and successful.
At Brook Acre, our goal is for every child to move into Year 1 feeling confident, valued and ready to embrace new challenges. Through strong relationships, careful planning and a child-centred approach, we ensure that children continue to thrive as they progress through their school journey.
