Intent

At The Mead, our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision is built on the belief that every child deserves the best possible start to their learning journey.

Our intent is to create a safe, inclusive, and inspiring environment where children feel valued, supported, and challenged. We aim to develop the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally—through a curriculum that is ambitious, meaningful, and rooted in the needs and interests of our children We are committed to nurturing happy, curious, and confident learners who are well-prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond school.

We aim for all children to treat others with kindness and respect, valuing the differences of others. Children will gain an awareness of the wider world beyond their immediate community and develop the ability to express themselves creatively. They will learn how to take care of themselves and others, interact confidently in a language-rich environment. Our provision supports children to demonstrate independence, resilience, curiosity, and engagement in their learning. Carefully planned first hand experiences will give them the tools to make learning meaningful and make connections. They will develop key early skills in reading, writing, and number, build on prior knowledge, and be well-prepared for a smooth transition into Key Stage One.

Implementation

- Curriculum Design: Our curriculum is bespoke to The Mead, rooted in the EYFS Framework and tailored to our children’s developmental need. It builds progressively children’s starting points from Nursery and Reception and aligns with our KS1 curriculum to ensure continuity and readiness for the next stage.

- A careful balance between explicit teaching, adult led learning and purposeful child led play complement each other linked to the curriculum, interests and needs.

- Language-Rich Environments: Classrooms and outdoor spaces are carefully resourced to stimulate rich conversation, storytelling, exploration and imaginative play. Vocabulary is modelled, repeated and embedded across the day through purposeful interactions and shared experiences.

- High-Quality Interactions: Staff are trained to use skilled, responsive interactions that extend thinking.

- Promoting Independence and Autonomy: Our routines, continuous provision and adult interactions all promote self-help skills, decision-making, and resilience. Children are given opportunities to lead their own learning, make choices and problem-solve in their play.

- Emotional Regulation and Relationships: We use strategies such as Zones of Regulation and emotion coaching to support children to understand their emotions, and to recognise those of others.

- Embed independence and resilience at the heart of our provision, encouraging children to take risks, make decisions, and persevere through challenge.

- Inclusion and Equity: Ongoing formative assessment ensures all children make progress. Those at risk of falling behind receive timely, targeted support, and our environment and curriculum are adapted to meet a wide range of needs.

- Staff Development: All staff receive relevant, meaningful CPD to enhance their subject knowledge, pedagogy and reflective practice. Coaching, mentoring and shared planning underpin our collaborative approach to professional growth.

- Parental partnership: We encourage a strong, two-way communication between staff and families to support each child’s development and learning.

Impact

Children will be confident, curious, and motivated learners who show high levels of independence, resilience, and emotional security. They will make strong progress from their individual starting points, including those with SEND or from disadvantaged backgrounds, with support and challenge matched to their specific needs.

Children will develop a rich and secure vocabulary, enabling them to express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions effectively. They will demonstrate the ability to play collaboratively, manage their feelings, and begin to understand and respect the perspectives of others.

Children will be well-prepared for Year One, equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and emotional resilience needed to succeed in the next phase of their education.

Staff will be confident, skilled, and reflective practitioners who deliver high-quality learning experiences and continually strive to improve outcomes for all children. As a result, a high proportion of children will achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD).