At The Whiteoak Academies, we believe that Reception is one of the most important years of a child's education. Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum has been carefully designed to give every child the strongest possible start - building the knowledge, skills and learning behaviours they need to thrive throughout their school journey and beyond.

Our curriculum is ambitious, carefully sequenced and rooted in what we know about how young children learn. It prioritises communication and language, personal development and physical development as the foundations for all future learning, while ensuring children build knowledge across all seven areas of the EYFS framework.

Our Curriculum Approach

Teaching in Reception at Whiteoak is delivered through a rich blend of purposeful play, adult-led learning and carefully structured activities. Children learn both indoors and outdoors. Our practitioners are skilled at using every interaction to extend children's thinking, vocabulary and independence.

We follow the Lighthouse Schools Partnership (LSP) curriculum frameworks for Literacy and Understanding the World, which give our teaching a clear structure. Learning is sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what children already know, supporting all children to achieve. Our consistent instructional approach — 'I do, we do, you do' — ensures that children receive clear modelling before practising new skills independently. Our long-term plan (see below) demonstrates our carefully crafted curriculum.

 

Our Pedagogy

Our daily practice combines adult-led, adult-supported and child-initiated learning within a carefully structured environment. In the Autumn term, greater emphasis is placed on supported exploration to establish routines, language development and positive learning behaviours. Children are supported to become increasingly independent in managing their own learning, behaviour and self-care.

As the year progresses, teaching becomes more structured to strengthen focus, resilience and readiness for Key Stage One. From Term 4, mornings are organised to maximise impact: two groups in guided literacy or maths, one group in deliberate practice and one group in purposeful play. This approach also supports the development of the Characteristics of Effective Learning, including playing and exploring, active learning and critical thinking.

Through this carefully sequenced approach — moving from supported exploration and play to a more structured environment — children develop the stamina, independence and secure knowledge base required for a smooth transition into Year One.

 

Preparing Children for Year One

Transition into Year One is central to everything we do in Reception. As children move through the year, teaching progressively supports the development of independence, listening, self-regulation and the early learning behaviours needed for Key Stage One. By the end of Reception, children are academically and emotionally prepared for the next stage of their education.

Our Reception teachers and Year One staff work closely together, sharing assessment information and professional knowledge of each child to ensure continuity of learning. Our dedicated Reception to Year One Transition Policy sets out in detail how we support families and children through this key stage.

 

Assessment and Progress

We assess children's learning continuously through observation, interaction and professional judgement. All children take part in the Reception Baseline Assessment in their first six weeks of school. At the end of Reception, we complete the EYFS Profile for every child – a holistic summary of each child's attainment that is shared with parents and passed to their Year One teacher.

We use Tapestry to share observations, photographs and learning updates with parents throughout the year. We welcome families as partners in their child's learning and offer regular parents' evenings and workshops including sessions focused on phonics, reading, writing, maths and transition.

Assessment is used to inform planning, adapt teaching and provide timely intervention. This ensures that teaching is precisely matched to children’s needs and that all children make strong progress from their starting points.

 

Supporting Every Child

We are proud to be an inclusive school. Children with SEND, those with English as an Additional Language and children from disadvantaged backgrounds are identified early and receive targeted support to ensure they make strong progress from their starting points. Our SENDCo works closely with class teachers and external professionals to ensure every child's needs are met.

Safeguarding is embedded throughout our provision. All staff are trained to ensure children are safe, well cared for and able to learn in a secure environment.

 

What we teach

Our setting follows the curriculum as outlined in the 2024 Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The EYFS framework includes 7 areas of learning and development that are equally important and interconnected. They are:

Communication and Language

• Listening & Attention
• Understanding
• Speaking

Physical Development

• Fine Motor Skills
• Gross Motor Skills

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Self-regulation
• Managing Self
• Building Relationships

The four specific areas build on the prime areas and introduce children to broader knowledge and skills:

Literacy

• Comprehension
• Word Reading
• Writing

Mathematics

• Numbers
• Numerical Patterns

Understanding the World

• Past & Present
• People, Culture & Communities
• The Natural World

Expressive Arts and Design

• Creating with Materials
• Being Imaginative & Expressive

As a result of our carefully sequenced curriculum and high-quality teaching, children develop secure knowledge, strong learning behaviours and are exceptionally well-prepared for Key Stage One.

Follow the subject links to find out more about how we teach each area, what children are expected to achieve by the end of Reception and how you can support your child at home.