A Sheen Mount pupil’s learning journey starts here in Reception. We aim to encourage children to form positive attitudes and develop the characteristics of effective learning that will last throughout their time at Sheen Mount and into their future. We support children to seek challenges, take risks, make links between areas of learning, and reflect and try again if things go wrong. Through this, children develop into creative, resilient and adventurous learners, as well as confident, motivated and kind individuals.  The Reception year is one of the most important stages in your child’s educational journey. At Sheen Mount, we recognise that it is paramount to lay the foundations for children to become life-long learners, nurturing them to be confident, curious and empowered individuals. Our intent is to provide an engaging, enriched curriculum that encourages all children to become confident, resourceful, inquisitive and communicative learners who will always ‘give it a go’ and challenge themselves to be successful.

Our approach involves both child-initiated and teacher-supported learning. We encourage children’s learning and enquiry through high-quality interactions that aim to stretch their thinking, alongside focused tasks and carefully planned enhancements to the continuous provision. Our environment is welcoming, friendly, supportive and appropriately challenging, enabling all children to thrive regardless of their starting points.

We are committed to ensuring that every child has a happy and confident beginning to their school life at Sheen Mount Primary School. Our vision is underpinned by our whole-school Living Values: Cooperation, Love, Respect, Simplicity, Happiness, Tolerance, Unity, Peace, Responsibility, Humility, Honesty and Freedom. These values are embedded in daily practice and support children in developing strong personal, social and moral foundations for life.

Our curriculum  is planned and taught using the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and the Development Matters guidance. We use this to scaffold learning and to ensure a clear progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary, which enables children to build on what they already know and can do. It is also based on our ‘5 Big EYFS Ideas’: Language drives learning; Play is pedagogy; Strong foundations matter; Personal, social, emotional development and regulation is central; Reception is a distinct phase. 

Our environment is a carefully planned and well-resourced space that caters for the needs of all learners. We offer a broad range of rich, meaningful experiences both indoors and outdoors. We plan purposeful activities that inspire and engage children, while matching differing levels of need to ensure all children can succeed and make progress. We carefully identify the foundational knowledge, vocabulary and concepts that children need to secure in Reception. Learning is sequenced and revisited over time so that children develop secure understanding and make connections between new learning and what they already know.

There are seven areas of learning that shape our educational programme. 

Prime Areas:

• Personal, social and emotional development

• Communication and Language

• Physical Development

Specific Areas:

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding of the World

• Expressive Arts and Design

We place strong emphasis on developing the ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’: playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically. These characteristics are essential in supporting children’s learning journey and help ensure children develop the attitudes and approaches needed for lifelong learning. 

Our approach combines direct teaching with high-quality play-based learning. Children take part in 2–3 daily carpet sessions where new learning is introduced and modelled. This is supported by carefully planned activities, enhancements and adult interactions, providing children with meaningful opportunities to practise, apply and deepen their learning.

Throughout the day, children have access to a wide range of play-based experiences both indoors and outdoors. The learning environment is organised into clearly defined areas of continuous provision, where children can independently choose, explore and lead their own learning. These areas provide practical, open-ended opportunities that encourage children to explore, experiment, discover and solve problems creatively and imaginatively.

Our provision is designed to provide:

• High-quality enabling environments that support independence and engagement

• A broad and balanced curriculum delivered through both adult-directed and child-led learning

• A language-rich environment, with a strong focus on developing speaking and listening

• A curriculum that reflects the interests and needs of every child, as well as the wider community

• Sequential and progressive learning, where children build on prior knowledge and “know more and can do more” over time

• A love of reading and enjoyment of books

• Active, hands-on learning that promotes curiosity and enthusiasm

• Enrichment opportunities and meaningful experiences

• Positive relationships and practitioners that use high quality, responsive interactions (using the ShREC approach), questioning, modelling and scaffolding to extend children's thinking, language and understanding

• An inclusive, adaptive and diverse curriculum that supports the development of the whole child

Our outdoor learning environment is a vital and equal partner to the indoor classroom, offering every child daily opportunities to learn through purposeful play, exploration and interaction. Rooted in the EYFS framework, the outdoor area is a rich, enabling space where children are free to follow their curiosity, engage in self-initiated activity and construct their own learning through hands-on experiences. The outdoor area is where play is recognised as the engine of development, and where every child can thrive as a confident, curious and capable learner.

We believe that learning outdoors is a necessity, not an enhancement. Our outdoor environment nurtures the whole child by supporting physical development, emotional wellbeing, creativity, problem-solving, communication and language and social collaboration. It is a place where children are encouraged to take appropriate risks, test ideas, revisit experiences and build resilience, confidence and independence. 

Adults play a crucial role in this environment as skilled observers, co-players and facilitators. Through high quality interactions using the ShREC approach, thoughtful questioning and timely scaffolding, practitioners extend learning, respond to children’s interests and ensure inclusion for all. By valuing children’s voices and respecting the rhythms of play, adults create a culture where learning is joyful, collaborative and deeply engaging.