At Broadhembury Primary School, we believe that every child deserves the very best start to their education. Our small, nurturing rural school provides a welcoming and stimulating environment where children feel safe, valued and inspired to develop a lifelong love of learning.

Our Early Years curriculum is guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework and is carefully designed to support each child's individual development, interests and needs. We recognise that children learn and develop at different rates, and our approach ensures that every child is encouraged, challenged and supported to achieve their full potential.

Learning Together in Our Mixed-Age Classroom

One of the special features of Broadhembury is our mixed-age EYFS and Key Stage 1 classroom, where Reception children learn alongside pupils in Years 1 and 2 as part of Sparrows Class.

This creates a caring, family-like atmosphere where children of different ages learn from one another, develop strong friendships and build confidence in their interactions. Older pupils become positive role models, developing leadership, independence and responsibility, while our youngest children benefit from observing and learning alongside their more experienced peers.

Shared routines, play and learning experiences provide valuable opportunities to develop communication, cooperation and social skills. Older children are encouraged to take on additional responsibilities, while Reception children gradually develop their independence and confidence as they become familiar with school life.

Our mixed-age approach helps children develop a strong sense of belonging and ensures that learning is a shared experience, with every child making a valuable contribution to our classroom community.

A Curriculum Designed Around Every Child

Our Early Years curriculum embraces the seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS.

The three prime areas:

• Communication and Language

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Physical Development

The four specific areas:

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the World

• Expressive Arts and Design

Our carefully structured daily timetable provides a balance of shared experiences, direct teaching, purposeful play and continuous provision. While Reception children benefit from learning alongside older pupils, they also access carefully planned, developmentally appropriate opportunities that reflect the EYFS curriculum.

Our learning environment is thoughtfully organised to encourage children to explore, investigate, create and develop independence. Activities and experiences are planned around children's interests, individual needs and next steps in learning, with adults providing appropriate support and challenge.

We place great importance on the characteristics of effective teaching and learning: playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically. These underpin our approach and help children become curious, motivated, resilient and confident learners.

Small Classes, Individual Attention and Inclusive Learning

One of the greatest strengths of Broadhembury is our small class sizes, which allow us to know every child exceptionally well. We build strong, positive relationships with children and their families, enabling us to understand each child's personality, strengths, interests and individual learning needs.

Our small classes provide opportunities for personalised teaching, meaningful interactions and timely support, ensuring that children receive the attention and encouragement they need to thrive.

We are committed to providing an inclusive learning environment where all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), are valued, supported and able to participate fully in school life.

Through carefully adapted provision, high-quality teaching and close communication with families and our school SENDCo, we aim to identify additional needs early and provide appropriate support. Our flexible approach allows us to respond to individual needs, celebrate achievements and ensure that every child experiences success.

At Broadhembury, every child is known, every child is valued and every child is encouraged to flourish.

Communication, Language and a Love of Reading

Communication, language and vocabulary development are at the heart of our Early Years curriculum. We believe that developing a rich and varied vocabulary is essential for children's confidence, relationships and future learning.

Our language-rich environment provides daily opportunities for meaningful conversations, storytelling, songs, rhymes, imaginative play and discussion. Adults model ambitious vocabulary, extend children's thinking and encourage them to express their ideas, ask questions and communicate confidently.

We use Bug Club Phonics to provide a systematic and engaging approach to teaching phonics and early reading. Alongside this, our Book Buds approach and daily opportunities to share high-quality stories help to develop a genuine love of books and reading.

We carefully introduce and revisit new vocabulary through stories, practical experiences, play and exploration, encouraging children to use language confidently in a range of contexts.

Our mixed-age classroom offers further opportunities for language development, as Reception children listen to, interact with and learn from older pupils, while older children strengthen their own communication skills through explaining, modelling and supporting others.

Exploring Our Rural Environment

Our beautiful rural surroundings provide a wealth of opportunities to enrich children's learning and develop their understanding of the world around them.

Outdoor learning is an important part of our Early Years provision. Through carefully planned outdoor experiences, children develop physical skills, creativity, independence, curiosity and problem-solving abilities.

We encourage children to explore the natural environment, notice seasonal changes, investigate the world around them and develop an appreciation of nature and their local community.

Our outdoor provision supports learning across all seven areas of the EYFS, allowing children to learn through movement, investigation, imaginative play and hands-on experiences.

We believe that the outdoors provides an inspiring environment where children can develop confidence, take appropriate risks and discover the joy of learning.

Belonging to Our Whole School Community

Being part of a small rural school means that our Reception children are valued members of the wider school family from the very beginning of their educational journey.

Children benefit from taking part in whole-school experiences, including educational visits, special events, celebrations and collective worship. These shared opportunities help children develop confidence, build relationships across different age groups and broaden their experiences beyond the classroom.

Through our caring school community, children learn the importance of kindness, respect, responsibility and cooperation. They develop a strong sense of belonging and understand that everyone has an important role to play.

Our close-knit environment helps children feel secure and supported, providing a positive foundation for their personal, social and emotional development.

Our Aim

Our aim is for every child at Broadhembury to feel happy, secure, curious and confident, developing strong foundations for a lifelong love of learning.

By combining the principles of the EYFS with the unique opportunities offered by our small rural school and mixed-age classroom, we provide an inclusive, ambitious and nurturing curriculum where children can explore, discover, develop friendships and flourish.

We want every child to develop strong foundations in communication, language, early literacy, mathematics, independence and personal development, ensuring that they are well prepared for the next stage of their learning journey.

At Broadhembury, we believe that small classes create big opportunities for every child to shine.