About Early Years

Lead: Miss Emma Harvey

Link Governor: Cilla Holman

Welcome to Early Years at the Duke of Norfolk School.

 'My child looks forward to coming to school every day and has grown in confidence over the year.' 

 'I am amazed by how much my child has learnt in his reception year. He absolutely loves school...'

 'My child has enjoyed her first year at school in a nurturing environment.'

At the Duke of Norfolk School we want our children to be happy, confident active and independent learners.  In our Early Years department we do this by having a curriculum that is based on learning through play and hands on experience.

Our reception department is set up with different areas of learning, for example areas for sand play, water play, and role play, a writing area, a maths area, a making area, a small world area (e.g. fire station, farm, dinosaurs etc.), a creative area and a book corner.

The learning areas are set out to help the children to become independent learners, with open shelving so that the children can help themselves to the resources they need.  We make sure that there is a balance throughout the day of independent activities, when the children can choose which area they would like to learn in, and focused activities, when the children will be working with a teacher or a teaching assistant on a particular activity.

Children have the opportunity to take part in outdoor learning every day.  The outdoor area is set up in a similar way to the classroom with lots of opportunities for the children to independently choose where they would like to learn and also focused activities where the children will be working with a teacher or teaching assistant.  Please make sure your child has a waterproof coat with them every day as we try to go out whatever the weather!

We deliver the Early Years curriculum through topics that interest the children, e.g. Superheroes, Dinosaurs, Minibeasts and several topics that are inspired by high quality texts.  Each new topic is planned by the teachers and teaching assistants, taking into account what the children already know and what their interests are.  A curriculum plan showing what the children will be learning during the half term, can be found on your child’s class page on the school website at the beginning of each half term.