As part of our appreciation for the arts, the Early Years classes are named after artists. The Nursery class is named after Anish Kapoor, and the two Reception classes are named after Paul Klee and Barbara Hepworth.
Anish Kapoor (born 12.3.1954 – to the present day) is a British-Indian sculptor. He created the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, a very tall observation tower in the Olympic Park. In the Nursery, we spend time in the first term creating sculptures, inspired by Anish Kapoor.
Paul Klee (18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-German painter. He taught at the Bauhaus school of art and was friends with Kandinsky. He explored and experimented with colour over many years. In our first term we enjoy learning about Klee and experiment with colours and shapes. We discuss his work and how it makes us feel.
Barbara Hepworth (10 January 1903 – 20 May 1975) was an English artist and sculptor. She lived in St. Ives in Cornwall during the Second World War and her work gives good examples of modern sculpture.
During their first term, children in Hepworth class explore sculpture using natural and found objects, junk modelling, clay and mod-roc.
The Early Years Curriculum for Nursery and Reception follows the principles and objectives set out in Development Matters and Early Years Outcomes. Please see the Mayflower Early Years policy which goes through the structure of the day and the curriculum more thoroughly. Further information is available on the Foundation Years website. There is also the Parents’ Guide to the EYFS document which goes through the Early Years in detail.
Your child will develop through four principles:
The Seven Areas: The Prime Areas which lay the foundations for all other learning:
Then there are the Specific Areas:
Literacy – Reading & Writing
Mathematics – Numbers & Shape, Space & Measures
Understanding the World – People & Communities The World, Technology
Expressive Arts & Design – Using Media & Materials, Being Imaginative
In the Early Years, children learn through play. The children in the Early Years learn inside and out, using sand, water, the mud kitchen and natural materials. Whilst outside, Reception and Nursery will be able to learn together. Inside the classrooms, children will be able to paint, draw, build and construct, make up stories in the role play area, count and discover shape and use play dough, clay, sand and water. For more details, please see the Early Years policy.
Mayflower is a Storytelling School and the Early Years (Nursery and Reception) is no exception! Each half term, every class in the school learns a new story or book, and this lasts half a term (six stories a year). There is a two year cycle with different stories for the two years. The storytelling curriculum has been shown to really enthuse children and provide a rich scaffold for their storytelling writing and imagination. Mayflower also places a high priority on reading, so every half term there is a focus book for children to enjoy and get to know really well.
We know that your child will enjoy learning in Nursery and Reception at Mayflower Primary School. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us. You are very welcome to arrange a visit and look round at any point in the year so please do get in touch!
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