At St John XXIII, our aim is to create a learning environment and build relationships which support, enhance and invite a child’s curiosity, confidence and individual competency to flourish regardless of backgrounds, circumstances or needs. We recognise children as capable, curious learners and value play as the primary vehicle for learning. Through careful observation and meaningful interactions, we follow children’s interests and motivations, supporting them to take an active role in shaping their own learning. We aim to work collaboratively with parents and carers to encourage independent, enthusiastic learners who thrive and reach their full potential. It is our intent that children who enter our EYFS begin their lifelong learning journey by developing physically, verbally, cognitively and emotionally whilst also embedding a positive attitude to school and a love of learning.

To ensure children make outstanding progress in St John XXIII EYFS, it is our intent to take into consideration their starting points and individual needs as they begin their learning journey. Every child has access to a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum which prepares them for now and for the future in terms of opportunities and experiences. By following children’s personal interests and recognising them as capable drivers of their own learning, we plan and provide meaningful opportunities that support their development and enable them to achieve their next steps.

In the Early Years at St John XXIII our children are given opportunities to:

• To be good communicators – language and new vocabulary is consistently modelled to the children in the Early Years setting. STEM sentences are used to encourage children to speak in full sentences to support language acquisition. We want our children to become eloquent orators speaking with confidence and fluency in a variety of situations.  We want them to develop an enriched vocabulary and a love for reading.
• To be enthusiastic, lifelong learners – children in the Early Years are encouraged to use their imaginations and to be curious, to ask questions and explore the world around them. We want children’s sparks of interest to be nurtured to ignite their enthusiasm for learning.  Through developing learning behaviours such as playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically, we want children to be autonomous with their own learning.  We want them to plan, implement and review this process and do it with integrity.
• To understand how to keep themselves safe and be respectful in their communities - We want our children to develop a sense of pride in themselves and respect for others in their immediate, school and White City community.  We want to foster partnerships with families and engagement in their child’s learning journey.  We want children to develop a sense of citizenship in line with British Values.
• To develop their God given talents by being creative – to ensure the curriculum takes into account the interests of all pupils to support them in developing their talents through the Arts, Music and the broader curriculum offer.
• To be independent, resilient learners who enjoy challenges - We want children to engage in rich experiences to develop imagination, ingenuity and ‘blue-sky thinking’.  We will encourage managed risk and develop resilience.

Outdoor learning:

We intend for our outdoor environment to provide rich, dynamic experiences that evolve with the seasons, weather and children’s ideas, creating meaningful contexts for exploration and discovery. We aim for the space and scale of outdoor play to encourage collaboration, problem-solving and communication, supporting children to develop resilience, confidence and perseverance as they encounter challenge and manage risk. We value outdoor learning as essential to children’s wellbeing, curiosity and sense of belonging, and ensure children have daily access to outdoor environments within our school and the wider community to deepen their understanding of the world.