EYFS Lead - Mrs K Holroyd
At Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School, our ethos is rooted in the belief that every child deserves a nurturing, stimulating environment where they can thrive through exploration and discovery. In our Early Years environment, our skilled practitioners facilitate play, enabling children to learn to make sense of the world around them, build relationships and express themselves confidently. Our approach emphasizes independence, encouraging children to take ownership of their learning and make choices that foster resilience and self-belief. By creating a safe and supportive space, we aim to inspire a lifelong love of learning from the very beginning. We are passionate about teaching and shaping the next generation!
In our Nursery our focus is on the Prime Areas of development: Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social, and Emotional Development. These areas form the bedrock of a child’s growth and future success, and we weave them into every experience and interaction. Whether it’s through imaginative play, outdoor exploration, or collaborative activities, we ensure that children develop strong communication skills, physical confidence and emotional well-being. Our goal is to empower children to become independent, curious learners who feel valued and inspired—because when these foundations are strong, every child has the opportunity to flourish.
As our children move through Nursery to Reception, play is still very much at the heart of what we do, alongside whole class lessons, small group work and 1 to 1 interventions being introduced. We teach all of the early skills and knowledge to ensure they build strong foundations to take them into Key Stage 1, becoming successful, confident and knowledgeable learners. Children continue to free flow across all three classrooms and outside throughout the year, developing friendships, confidence and problem solving skills whilst accessing the rich and stimulating environment.
Our curriculum is taught through 3 topics, ‘I Wonder What I can Do?’, ‘I Wonder What is Out There?’ and ‘I Wonder How Things Change?’. We use these topics and the children’s own interests to plan lessons (following the Kapow scheme where appropriate), enhance the provision and organise exciting first hand experiences. This ensures children develop an understanding of the world around them and explore their creative sides, whilst building the knowledge and skills needed as they move into Year 1.
It is important to us that all children get the support they need to thrive. Our Early Years practitioners are trained and experienced in delivering a range of interventions, working closely with outside agencies to support the children in their individual needs.
Phonics
Phonics teaching begins in Nursery using lovely play based activities and lots of adult modelling, involving stories, games and rhymes. This then progresses into more formal, daily teaching following our chosen phonics program 'Little Wandle' as children move into Reception. Alongside this, a love of reading is fostered and encouraged through exciting story telling and the sharing of high quality texts.
Writing
Pre writing skills are important in developing the muscles, spatial awareness and directional sense to ensure all children are ready to write. Children have access to exciting outside areas with challenging climbing equipment in both Nursery and Reception, giving lots of opportunities to develop their gross motor skills. As well as using Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle, Dough Disco, a variety of mark making equipment and plenty of fine motor control activities, we ensure that all children are physically ready to write. With robust phonics teaching and a huge focus on Communication and Language skills, children gain all of the skills and knowledge to become successful writers. By Christmas, Reception children are taking part in daily handwriting lessons, either working in small groups to ensure correct formation or practising within a larger group. Once letter formation is secure and becoming accurate, sentence writing is taught.