Our EYFS curriculum aims to enable our children to be:

• Competent and creative learners; who are curious about the world around them.
• Secure and confident; who enjoy coming to school and learning new skills and knowledge, building on their existing learning.

At Blacko Primary School, we believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their true potential. We aim to place the child at the heart of our practice and value the journey of each unique child. To support each child’s unique learning journey, we value everybody’s curiosity and imagination to plan and enhance our continuous provision. Our children have daily opportunities to access open-ended, flexible, large-scale and skills-driven provision. Each year our provision changes slightly to allow each cohort to sprinkle their own magic to their learning environment, aiming to inspire children and progress learning further.

Our children leave the foundation stage with the skills, attitudes and attributes that they need to continue their learning journey into Key Stage 1. We have a play-based provision which allows children to revisit, rehearse, consolidate and learn alongside the valuable role of the high-quality adult. Play is a vehicle for learning and a way for children to express themselves. The adults work alongside the children, providing new knowledge and facts, giving them experiences and developing and deepening their skills. The learning space is as high an input as the adult. Our learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, acts as the third teacher and has the potential to have maximum impact on the unique child.

A strong focus on oracy, the use of high-quality texts linked to the children’s interests and experiences, a wide range of opportunities to learn about the world around them at local, national and global level, alongside the careful and structured teaching of phonics, reading, writing and maths gives the children solid foundations for the next stage of their education.  We also teach children the importance of looking after their bodies through healthy eating, good dental care, and by being physically active.

Our Early Years staff are dedicated to providing an environment that supports every child’s personal, social and emotional development, so that they feel cared for, safe and secure and therefore ready to learn. Staff relationships and interactions with children are of a high quality and are responsive to individual needs and interests. Through adult modelling and guidance, children are supported to develop a positive sense of self, develop their resilience and become independent learners, always coming back to the unique child. We have a balance of adult interaction and play.

We know that parents and carers are a child’s first educators and, because of this, we are dedicated to building firm, supportive and reciprocal relationships with parents so that we can work together to ensure that all of our children reach their full potential.

Department for Education - Early Years Foundation Stage Development Matters Document.

Mathematics in EYFS:

Please follow this link to find out what maths looks like in EYFS: 

Blacko Primary Maths Curriculum

English, Early Reading and Phonics in EYFS:

Please follow these links to find out what literacy and phonics looks like in EYFS: 

Blacko Primary Phonics and Early Reading Curriculum

Blacko Primary English Curriculum

 

Inclusion & SEND Across Our Curriculum

Across all areas of the primary curriculum, we are committed to ensuring that every pupil—including those with SEND, those who are disadvantaged, and pupils from all backgrounds and demographics—can access, engage with and succeed in their learning.

Our curriculum is designed to be inclusive by intent and adaptive in practice, ensuring that high expectations are maintained for all learners while removing barriers to participation and progress.

 

High-Quality, Inclusive Teaching in Every Subject

In every subject, pupils with SEND are supported to access learning through carefully planned adaptations that are responsive to individual need. These adaptations are part of high-quality first teaching and are planned by class teachers in collaboration with the SENDCo where appropriate.

Adaptations are informed by the EEF’s ‘Five-a-Day’ principles for SEND, ensuring that teaching strategies are evidence-based and benefit all learners. These may include:

• Flexible grouping and targeted adult support

• Clear modelling and explicit instruction

• Use of visuals, scaffolds and structured resources

• Opportunities for retrieval, overlearning and pre-teaching

• Assistive technology or alternative methods of recording

Such approaches support pupils with SEND while also strengthening learning for disadvantaged pupils and the wider class.

 

Subject-Specific Adaptation and Access

Each curriculum subject is planned with consideration for:

• Cognitive demand and curriculum sequencing

• Language and vocabulary development

• Practical and multisensory learning opportunities

• Alternative ways for pupils to demonstrate understanding

Where needed, teachers implement Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) within lessons to ensure pupils can participate meaningfully in subject learning alongside their peers.

This ensures that pupils are not removed from learning unnecessarily and that adaptations remain closely aligned to the curriculum’s intended knowledge and skills.

 

Early Identification and Responsive Support

Across all subjects, pupil progress is closely monitored. Where barriers to learning are identified, teachers follow a graduated response (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) to ensure timely and appropriate support.

Subject leaders work alongside the SENDCo to:

• Review curriculum accessibility

• Support teachers with inclusive subject-specific strategies

• Ensure adaptations are effective and proportionate

• Maintain ambitious outcomes for all learners

This reflects the current Ofsted focus on how well schools identify need, adapt curriculum delivery and evaluate impact for pupils with SEND.

 

Partnership with Families

We recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents and carers. Our Inclusion and SEND page provides further information about:

• How subject learning may be adapted

• What support looks like in the classroom

• How progress is communicated

• Where families can access additional advice or support

Through open communication, we ensure that provision across all curriculum areas reflects each child’s strengths, needs and aspirations.

 

Inclusive Curriculum & Ofsted Expectations

Our approach aligns with the latest Ofsted Inspection Framework, which places strong emphasis on:

• Inclusive curriculum design

• The effectiveness of adaptive teaching

• The impact of support for pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged

• Leaders’ understanding of how well pupils access and achieve across subjects

We continually review our curriculum and teaching practices to ensure that all pupils are supported to achieve well across every subject area.

 

For further information, please see our SEND and Inclusion Page on our school website.