Early Years at Park Academy

Curriculum

We provide a broad and balanced play-based curriculum that is carefully structured and sequenced to enable children to acquire and apply essential knowledge, skills, and understanding across all areas of learning. Our curriculum is informed by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, ensuring we meet the statutory requirements and promote the seven identified areas of learning and development. We place a strong emphasis on active and experiential learning opportunities within and beyond the classroom, enabling children to explore, investigate, and make meaningful connections. Real life experiences are provided for the pupils including but not limited to visiting the woods to observe seasonal changes, frequent opportunities to cook and bake, visitors to school and engagement with the local community. We use a range of formative and summative assessment strategies to track each child's progress effectively. Observations, checklists, and photographs are used to capture children's achievements and identify next steps for learning and these are shared with parents through Tapestry.

Building Home-School Partnerships

We recognise the importance of building strong partnerships with parents and carers to support pupils' learning and well-being. We encourage open communication, welcoming parents into our school and involving them in their child's learning journey. We provide regular opportunities for parents to engage in workshops, events, and meetings to enhance their understanding of their child's progress and how they can support their learning at home.

Learning Environment

Our Early Years environments include both indoor and outdoor spaces that are carefully designed and organised to create engaging and enabling environments that support pupils' learning and development. We provide a rich variety of resources, materials, and provocations that reflect pupils' interests and open-up opportunities for exploration and enquiry. We ensure that the learning environment is both stimulating and inviting, allowing pupils to engage in independent and collaborative learning experiences. We understand the importance of skilled staff in delivering outstanding Early Years education.

Our dedicated team of Early Years staff are knowledgeable, experienced, and passionate about providing the best possible education for our pupils. They keep themselves up to date with the latest research and best practices in Early Years education, and continually reflect on and refine their practice. We prioritise continuous professional development for our staff to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver outstanding Early Years provision. We invest in regular training opportunities, both internally and externally, to enhance their understanding of child development, pedagogical approaches, and effective assessment strategies. This enables us to provide a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for our pupils.