At Ellington Primary School, we know that a strong foundation and a love of learning begin in the Early Years. Our provision is built on the belief that every child can Believe and Achieve from the very first steps of their learning journey into Nursery through to Reception and beyond. We aim to create a remarkable foundation for champions to flourish, ensuring every child grows into a resilient, self‑motivated, life‑long learner.

‘In our Early Years, every child is empowered to explore boldly and grow as a confident, independent learner.’

Our curriculum is broad, balanced and bespoke to our Local Area and the needs of our children. It is carefully sequenced so that knowledge and skills build progressively across Nursery and Reception, supporting children to become confident, independent thinkers who take pride in their achievements and show resilience when faced with challenge. Communication and language sit at the heart of our approach. Learning is mapped around high‑quality core texts that enrich vocabulary, deepen understanding and open up the wider world, ensuring language development is woven through every area of learning.

We follow the EYFS Statutory Framework and plan using the 7 Areas of Learning:

The prime areas are a huge focus in our Nursery to ensure they have all the skills they need to start Reception confidently. These areas still underpin our work in Reception too and help support our learning in the specific areas. 

Prime Areas

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development 
• Physical Development 

Specific Areas 

• Literacy
• Mathematics 
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design. 

Our learning environments are created with purpose. We ensure that the environment promotes independence, encourages teamwork and provides opportunities for perseverance to flourish. The environment allows the children to revisit core knowledge and skills to ensure progression. High‑quality adult interactions further strengthen this, with adults modelling rich language, extending children’s ideas and supporting them to express themselves with confidence and clarity.