Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery-Reception)

Early Years Foundation Stage at Hermitage Primary School is a place for children to explore, be curious, question, think, learn, and play. 

Nursery and Reception have a wonderful state-of-the-art learning space, encompassing sliding doors between the classrooms to create a large free-flow area. They also have a large outdoor area with many opportunities for children to develop their fine and gross motor skills. 

Our learning within the EYFS is child-led. Every half term, we introduce the children to a new 'I wonder' question which they have the chance to explore in more detail through the 7 areas of learning, such as music, dance, writing, number, relationships with others and exploring their natural environment.

In Nursery and Reception, all our children have a keyworker. Children thrive in secure relationships and your child's keyworker is a named member of staff with responsibilities for caring and supporting your child at school. They help the child settle into their learning, support with emotional needs and well-being. This is a familiar adult to your child and will also be a point of contact for parents/carers. 

Our pupils make rapid progress, surpassing national expectations.

You can find further information on the Wonderful World of EYFS on our school padlet. 

Click on each link below to find out about the curriculum throughout the year. 

Nursery Curriculum Overview
Reception curriculum overview

Useful Websites 

Phonics Play - Games and resources to support early reading, including blending and segmenting. 
Fisher Price - Activities relating to numbers, alphabet, shapes and colours
ICT Games - Number and letter games and activities 
Cbeebies - Games, quizzes, activities, shapes, numbers and colours 
Cbeebies - Number blocks - Videos and games to support number recognition, ordering and counting
Oxford Owl - Reading activities and online books 
Reading Eggs - Reading activities. Sign up for a free 2 week trial
Jump Start Johnny - PE activities 
Primary Stars - Mindfulness and wellbeing activities 
The Maths Factor - Maths problem solving
Alphablocks - Have fun with letters of the alphabet
Crick Web - Early Years number games
Hungry Little Minds - Activities, videos and game ideas for 0 - 5 year olds 

Growth Mindset 

Here at Hermitage, we encourage all our pupils to be able to express themselves and say how they feel. This journey begins in Nursery.

We give them the vocabulary for their feelings and explain what they can do when they feel that way. This also helps the children with their peers and is a lifelong skill. The power of YET! When children first start their learning journey they will require lots of support from staff and you as parents.

At Hermitage, the staff and pupils have adopted Growth Mindset, which has allowed them to build their confidence to try new things without the fear of failure, as they know you have to keep trying and build up your resilience. With our youngest children we use the word YET a lot.

I can't do it = You can't do it YET

I don't know how = You don't know how YET

I don't want to do it any more = Keep going, you can do it!

I don't want to = Let's try together 

We show the children together and they practise. It’s all about perseverance and resilience, bouncing back and learning how to get out of negative feelings.

Here are some books you might like to share with your child to support their understanding of Growth Mindset 

Reading in EYFS 

Here are some of the books and stories we enjoy sharing and reading in the EYFS. 

Watch these videos to help your understanding of how to support your child with their reading at home.