Academic Curriculum
‘Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning.’
– Diane Ackermann
In Early Years we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS) putting play and exploration at the heart of a child’s learning. We support our children to become independent and collaborative learners by providing a range of activities and experiences. Through these experiences we encourage children to take risks, discover and make links between their explorations.
In a fun, safe, and loving environment, we create the strong foundation necessary for educational success during the pre-primary years.
There are 7 areas of learning and development broken down into 2 areas, prime and specific.
The 3 prime areas of learning:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social, and emotional development
These three key areas contribute to igniting children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. It also sets the foundation to develop skills in four specific areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
Communication and Language:
- Listening, attention and understanding
- Speaking
Physical development
- Gross Motor Skills
- Fine Motor Skills
Personal, social and emotional development
- Self-Regulation
- Managing Self
- Building Relationships
Literacy:
- Comprehension
- Word Reading
- Writing
Mathematics
- Numbers
- Numerical Patterns
Understanding the World
- Past and Present
- People, Culture and Communities
- The Natural World
Expressive, Art and Design
- Creating with Materials
- Being Imaginative and Expressive
From as early as EY1, our pupils have dedicated timetabled lessons with specialists for PE, music, library, and Greek.
Greek
Language education in Early Years is designed to offer the right experiences within the interests and abilities of the children, so that they can develop linguistic identities and communicate (verbally and nonverbally) as well as use varied modes of speech (orally and in writing).
The focus of language education in Early Years is on oral processing (listening, expression, comprehension, vocabulary enrichment, discussion, and description). A child-centred approach guides the whole program, which is tailored to the needs of the children.
Music
Music is taught twice a week to Early Years students in both English and Greek based on the British and Greek National Curriculums. We aim to make music a fun and enjoyable learning experience, one that is inclusive and accessible to all children.
Our curriculum is carefully crafted to ignite all aspects of a child's intellectual, social-emotional, motor, numeracy, language, critical thinking, and creativity during the early stages of development.
Through singing, listening, dancing, and performing, we aim to ensure children's understanding of music through a high-quality music education. Christmas shows are also performed by children in Early Years 3 and Reception.
PE (Physical Education)
Weekly PE lessons for Early Years children are aligned with the Early Years Framework. These lessons are designed to teach children how to move in empty spaces with consideration for themselves and others.
They begin to learn how to negotiate obstacles safely, developing their balance and coordination and improving their gross motor skills. Children learn to become confident in walking, running, skipping, and dancing as they begin to explore sharing and cooperation with the introduction of team games.
We focus on basic ball skills that involve throwing and catching to help develop hand to eye coordination.
