{"id":8136,"date":"2024-01-15T11:05:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-15T11:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cornerstoneseducation.co.uk\/?p=8136"},"modified":"2024-10-16T16:10:37","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T15:10:37","slug":"an-exciting-early-years-curriculum-from-cornerstones-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cornerstoneseducation.co.uk\/an-exciting-early-years-curriculum-from-cornerstones-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a quality curriculum for the early years\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
With the early years being a key focus on the new government\u2019s education and childcare plans, it\u2019s time to ask, \u2018Does our early years curriculum provide our children with the best quality of education?\u2019 In this blog, we highlight some of Labour\u2019s plans<\/a> for the early years sector and explain how Cornerstones\u2019 early years curriculum<\/a> will help you to provide the very highest quality of education to your youngest children.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Labour\u2019s policies for the early years sector include the expansion of available nursery places; extended childcare funding plans; an early year\u2019s numeracy drive; additional funding for early-language intervention; and the improved recruitment and retention of early years staff. While the focus on the early years sector is welcome, it is still important for nurseries and Early Years Foundation Stage practitioners and leaders to continue their own drive for a quality curriculum<\/a>. Here are some of the ways we help schools to achieve this this.<\/p>\n\n\n We\u2019ve carefully designed our EYFS curriculum<\/a> to help you meet national early years requirements, prioritise a play-based ethos and provide broad and balanced<\/a> activities across all areas of learning. The curriculum includes over 20 fully resourced projects<\/a> for nursery and reception, aligned with the early learning goals and Development Matters for England, and the statements of what matters<\/a> in the Curriculum for Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n The early years curriculum projects have been written in sequence and provide progression across a child\u2019s time in the EYFS. Topics are vibrant and designed to inspire awe and wonder about the world. We have carefully identified key skills, core knowledge and vocabulary within each project to provide the foundations for learning and prepare children for KS1 and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n The early years curriculum projects<\/a> have been created with children\u2019s physical, social and emotional development in mind. They encourage a play-based approach and offer a balance between teacher-directed and child-led learning. We\u2019ve put children\u2019s language development at the heart of the curriculum, so each project is built around stories and includes a wealth of communication activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n \u2018We\u2019ve found the structure of new projects around key texts has given us a clear focus for language. We’ve got amazing writing pieces from those activities.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Lauren Ward, Reception teacher, Wigan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Each project contains a story pack to support early reading development. We have chosen stories with engaging illustrations and strong narratives that will extend children\u2019s vocabulary. This collection of stories provides opportunities for children to associate with the characters or help them understand the lives, experiences and perspectives of others. Each story pack follows a structure so children can hear the story multiple times and build their understanding as they listen. We aim to provide children with a bank of quality stories they love so they can revisit and retell them independently. The story packs are fully resourced and provide teacher information to guide practitioners through each stage.<\/p>\n\n\n To further support nursery and preschool children with early reading development, we provide termly pre-literacy packs. This fully resourced programme supports children to develop the communication, language and literacy skills needed as they progress into the reception year. <\/p>\n\n\n We understand the challenges of teaching a mixed EYFS and KS1 class. To support children of all ages to meet curriculum requirements at an appropriate level, we have created a series of mixed-age planning documents. All activities in the projects are differentiated for both nursery and reception, and provide supporting enhanced provision ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n To help you make each lesson your own, the content is completely editable on Maestro<\/a>, our online curriculum platform. To provide a consistent pedagogical approach<\/a>, every project follows Cornerstones\u2019 unique four-stage approach to learning: Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n To help you make the most of the curriculum, we offer free ongoing online support<\/a>, guidance and training when you need it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n We believe that the best approach to learning in the early years is through practical, experiential and play-based activities. However, where appropriate, the new projects include carefully designed child-focused resources to support practical tasks. <\/p>\n\n\n \u2018The new early years projects are structured really well and offer a good balance of teacher-directed and child-led activities. What we enjoy about Cornerstones is that it offers us that flexibility.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Lauren Ward, Reception teacher, Wigan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n To see the early years curriculum projects for yourselves, ask any questions and get the best value quote for your setting, book a free consultation<\/a> with one of our friendly curriculum advisers at a time to suit you.<\/p>\n\n\n New government initiatives <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
1. Broad and balanced coverage <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
2. Building the foundations of learning <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
3. Play-based and language-rich <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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4. Early reading development <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
5. Pre-literacy programme<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
6. Support for mixed-age classes<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
7. Flexible planning <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
8. Ongoing support<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\n
9. The role of resources <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Want to find out more? <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n