In the Early Years classes at Fort Royal School our aims are:

• To provide a structured, secure, caring and well-resourced learning environment: both inside and out which meets all the individual physical and developmental needs of the children.
• To enable the children to be confident, motivated and happy learners and to meet their full potential.
• To develop independence and individuality for all children.
• To create a partnership with parents to support and enhance the development of the children.
• To ensure that the school ethos of ‘Play, Learn, Laugh, Succeed’ is embedded within the curriculum and provision which is available to all children.

We recognise that children learn and develop in different ways and have their own learning styles. We value all areas of learning and development and understand that they are often inter-connected.

The prime areas of learning and development are particularly crucial for our children, due to the early levels of development that they are learning at. They are:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

This area of learning and development is about how children become confident and self-assured, manage their feelings and behaviour, make friends, share and takes turns.

Communication and Language (C&L)

This area of learning and development is about how children listen and pay attention, understand what is being said, communicate with others, develop vocabulary and speech.

Physical Development (PD)

This are learning and development is about how children move and use gross motor skills, develop fine motor skills, learn about healthy living and manage self-care independently.

Adults will support children in the four specific areas, through which the prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas of learning and development are:

Literacy (L)

This area of learning and development is about how children enjoy reading, develop mark making skills and explore rhyming and phonics. 

Mathematics (M)

This area of learning and development is about how children learn about numbers and counting, recognise the passing of time, explore measures, capacity, shape and space through their play.

Understanding of the World (UW)

This area of learning and development is about how children find out about nature and the world around them, learn about people and the local community, explore ICT equipment, investigate things that are the same and different. 

Expressive Art and Design (EAD)

This area of learning and development is about how children enjoy being creative, sing, dance and make music, play imaginatively and use colour to express themselves.

Termly topics are planned on a three year cycle so that children will experience activities within each topic as they progress through the Early Years.  Planning takes place on a half termly basis and can be enhanced during the term to take account of the children’s interests. Each term various British celebrations, seasons and festivals from around the world will also be covered at an appropriate level for the children.