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Early Years Foundation Stage

Our Early Years curriculum nurtures children to become confident, curious and independent learners. Through rich language, play-based learning and meaningful experiences, children build strong foundations for future success. Children in Nursery and Reception classes are in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

At St Matthias, we are proud of our Early Years children, who settle quickly and become confident, enthusiastic members of our school community. We provide a nurturing and engaging environment where children are supported to become safe, curious and confident learners, ready for the next stage of their education.

Our curriculum is carefully designed to meet the Statutory EYFS Framework, while reflecting the unique context of our school and community. It sits within our empowerED approach, shaped by four key pillars:

  • My Identity – developing pride, self-awareness and respect for others
  • My World – building knowledge and understanding of the world
  • My Voice – developing confident communication and rich vocabulary
  • My Future – fostering resilience, ambition and independence

Our Curriculum

We provide a curriculum that is ambitious, engaging and carefully sequenced, ensuring that all children build strong foundations for future learning.

Learning is:

  • Rich in language and oracy, with frequent opportunities for meaningful talk
  • Rooted in high-quality texts, supporting vocabulary, imagination and inclusion
  • Designed around memorable core experiences that bring learning to life
  • Responsive to children’s interests and needs, ensuring all pupils can succeed

How We Teach

Learning takes place through a balance of adult-led teaching, guided groups and high-quality continuous provision, both indoors and outdoors.

We support children through:

  • An oracy-first approach, where talk is modelled and developed through play and storytelling
  • A strong focus on vocabulary development, with words revisited and applied in context
  • Opportunities to make meaningful connections across learning
  • Inclusive and responsive teaching, ensuring all children can access the curriculum
  • Strong partnerships with parents and carers, enriching learning experiences

Areas of Learning

The EYFS curriculum covers the following areas:

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Communication and Language
  • Physical Development
  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design

Supporting Every Child

We are committed to ensuring that every pupil succeeds. Staff identify and remove barriers to learning through effective assessment, high-quality teaching and carefully planned adaptations.

Support is targeted and purposeful, enabling pupils to achieve long-term success and independence.


Find Out More

Please click below for our EYFS curriculum map which changes year to year.

EYFS Curriculum Map

Please click on the following link to learn more about the National Curriculum in the Early Years Education.