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Welcome To

Broadwater Down Primary School

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  1. Our Curriculum
  2. Learning in Reception

Learning in Reception

At Broadwater Down Primary School we aim to provide the highest quality care and education for all our children thereby giving them a strong foundation for their future learning.

We create a safe and happy environment with motivating and enjoyable learning experiences that enable all of our children to become confident and independent learners. We value each individual child and work alongside our parents and other professionals to meet each of their needs and help them to learn and grow together.

At Broadwater Down we pride ourselves on our ability to respond to each child’s emerging needs and interests, guiding their development through warm, positive interaction. The safety and wellbeing of the children is extremely important to us and we provide a high level of pastoral care for all of our children. Staff working in reception are qualified in paediatric first aid to ensure that high standards of care are readily available.

Learning about: 

People Who Help Us

'Pupils are confident and love learning new things. They appreciate the range of opportunities to engage with the wider curriculum'. They said that 'Learning is fun and the school provides them with experiences that they would not normally have.' Ofsted 2017

One parent said 'At Broadwater Down every child has a chance to shine.' Ofsted 2017

The children were captivated by the caterpillars when they came to stay in term 4.

'Children learn as they play. Most importantly in play children learn how to learn'.  

O. Fred Donaldson

'Play is essential for children's development. It builds up their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.' Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.

Children in our reception class have access to their own, well-resourced, outdoor space on a daily basis, regardless of all but the worst weather. Outside, our reception children have the freedom to explore and develop their physical boundaries, to take risks and to discover the real world with all their senses. Tyres, logs and crates stimulate imagination; The mud kitchen  gives contact with the natural world and ride on vehicles help to support the development of balance and strength. Children have access to large building blocks, sand, water, and outdoor role-play opportunities. In term 6 the children experience a 6 week Forest School program within our school woodlands. Within this time we see their confidence grow, their ability to collaborate with others mature and their perseverance to take risk and try new experiences develop.

We believe that play is essential for children’s development. Over the last few year we have developed an objective led planning approach to supporting our children’s learning through play.

This approach aims for the adults to assess, which stage a child is at and then move their individual learning forward within their chosen play experiences. Our ultimate goal is to steer the next learning focus into the play that each child is already engaged in, rather than interrupting or calling them away from their chosen play.

We feel that this has enabled us to focus on developing our skills and knowledge of the children's specific interests. Ensuring that the children learn and progress in an age appropriate way through the most exciting and meaningful education that we can offer them.

 Please click here for our

 Early Years Foundation Stage Policy