Students who join St Christopher’s School at the Early Years Foundation Stage usually have very complex learning needs that are unable to be met in a mainstream setting. These children may be placed in classes on either the school’s Pre Formal Pathway or Engagement Pathway. On both of these pathways the students receive highly individualised learning experiences with interest and engagement at the heart all activities.

The EYFS has four themes which determine the requirements for the teaching and learning of very young children.

At St Christopher’s School we recognise that every child develops at their own pace and in their own individual way. We value the diversity of individuals within the school and believe that every child matters. All children attending the setting have an EHCP in place which documents their additional needs and the provision required to meet them.

We recognise that children learn to be strong, confident, and independent by forming secure relationships with the adults around them. We work hard to develop caring, respectful professional relationships with the children and their families.

The environment plays a key role in enabling, supporting and extending the children’s development - where the children can feel secure, and challenged to learn. We provide indoor and outdoor environments where children can safely explore, and believe that learning takes place when children are engaged, stimulated and highly interested.

All areas of learning are important and interconnected. There are seven areas of learning and development in the EYFS;

• communication and language
• personal, social and emotional development
• physical development
• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding of the world                         

We recognise that children have different learning styles and develop in different ways and at different rates. We create an attractive, welcoming, and stimulating learning environment which encourages children to explore, investigate and learn through first-hand experience. Along with a focus on engagement we encourage children to play and explore, be active learners, and problem-solve by creating and thinking critically.

The EYFS Profile is a document produced at the end of the child’s Reception year. This provides a written summary of the child’s attainment in relation to the Early Learning Goals (ELG’s) For each ELG it will clearly state whether the child is meeting expected levels of development, or not yet reaching expected levels (emerging.) In addition there are other ways of summarising your child’s progress that are used throughout the EYFS provision - these include measuring progress against the PLI’s (personalised learning intentions) and documenting their interest and engagement in a wide range of learning experiences (The Engagement Model) This information is shared with parents /carers via the online learning journal Tapestry. We actively encourage parents /carers to upload information, photos, videos  to contribute to their child’s learning journal.