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At Kielder Primary School and Nursery, our Early Years provision, including our nursery for children from the age of two, is rooted in a strong commitment to nurture, inclusion and high expectations for all children. We recognise that the early years are a critical period for emotional security, language development and the formation of positive attitudes to learning. Our provision is designed to ensure that every child feels safe, valued and confident, providing a secure foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing.
Our EYFS curriculum is fully aligned with the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and informed by Development Matters guidance. We prioritise children’s personal, social and emotional development, communication and language, and physical development as key foundations for learning, alongside early literacy and mathematical understanding.
A distinctive strength of EYFS at Kielder is the unique nature of our small school. EYFS children are fully integrated into the wider life of the school and benefit from regular, purposeful interaction with older pupils. These relationships support strong social development, accelerated language acquisition and a sense of belonging. Younger children benefit from positive role models, while older pupils develop leadership, empathy and responsibility. This family-style environment supports smooth transitions and strong emotional security for our youngest learners.
Nurture is at the heart of our EYFS practice. We place a strong emphasis on secure attachments, emotional wellbeing and consistent routines. This enables children to feel safe to explore, take risks and develop independence at their own pace, in line with statutory expectations for effective early years practice.
Our EYFS curriculum is carefully designed to meet the needs of children from age two through to Reception. It reflects all seven areas of learning and development and provides a balance of high-quality adult-led learning and rich child-initiated play.
Learning is planned around children’s interests, developmental stages and identified next steps. Practitioners use high-quality interactions, sustained shared thinking and purposeful play to extend children’s learning, language and understanding.
Integration with older pupils is a planned and valued feature of EYFS life at Kielder. EYFS children regularly join with older classes for shared activities, including reading, oracy, assemblies and social opportunities. This strengthens confidence, communication and social understanding, and supports children to see themselves as valued members of the whole-school community from an early age.
Provision is carefully organised to support:
Strong development of communication and language through talk, stories, songs and high-quality adult interaction.
Physical development through daily opportunities for both fine and gross motor development, indoors and outdoors.
Early literacy, including phonological awareness and early mark-making, supporting readiness for systematic phonics.
Early mathematical thinking through practical, play-based and real-life contexts.
Personal, social and emotional development through consistent routines, emotional coaching and positive relationships.
Assessment in EYFS at Kielder is purposeful, proportionate and closely aligned with statutory guidance. It is used to identify starting points, inform planning, support early intervention and ensure that all children make strong progress from their individual baselines.
Our assessment systems include:
Baseline assessment on entry to Nursery, to establish each child’s starting point and identify individual needs and next steps.
Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA), carried out within the statutory window at the start of Reception, to provide a nationally consistent starting point for measuring progress through primary school.
Ongoing observational assessment linked to Development Matters, ensuring practitioners have a secure understanding of each child’s developmental stage.
Use of age-specific printed monitoring sheets, where the nursery practitioner records when a child has met age-related Development Matters statements. This provides a clear and practical overview of progress and areas for development.
Use of Northumberland’s School Readiness Passport, which supports the recording and sharing of key information about children’s development, readiness for school and individual needs, strengthening transition and partnership with families and other professionals.
Regular professional discussion between staff to review progress, identify concerns and plan targeted support or challenge.
In addition, the school works closely with an Early Years Consultant, who visits three times per year. These visits provide external professional support and challenge, ensuring that practice remains high quality, reflective and fully aligned with statutory guidance and best practice. The consultant supports staff with curriculum development, assessment, environment and teaching strategies, strengthening the overall quality of EYFS provision.
This robust assessment and review cycle ensures that provision is responsive and that teaching is continually refined to meet children’s evolving needs.
The impact of our EYFS provision is seen in children who:
Settle quickly and feel safe, secure and confident within the school environment.
Develop strong communication and social skills, supported by interaction with both peers and older pupils.
Show increasing independence, curiosity and resilience in learning.
Make strong progress from their individual starting points across all areas of learning and development.
Are well prepared socially, emotionally and academically for the transition into Year 1.
Assessment information, practitioner observations, monitoring records, Reception Baseline data and external professional feedback demonstrate that children’s learning and development are carefully tracked and supported over time. Our nurturing, inclusive and well-sequenced EYFS provision ensures that children leave Early Years with strong foundations for future learning and a positive attitude towards school.
