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Early Years

Welcome

 

At Haxby Road Primary Academy, the EYFS consists of Tiny Steps, Nursery and Reception. Across the Early Years, we encourage independent learning and focus on providing enriching opportunities to build memories and enthusiasm for learning.It is our ambition to provide a safe and stimulating environment, both indoors and outdoors, to capture the interests of our children and support children to build on their creativity and imagination. Through a mixture of adult led and child initiated activities, the children are encouraged to problem solve, take and manage risks and challenge themselves further.. Every child is recognised as a unique individual and we recognise that all children begin their journey at different starting points and work alongside parents and carers to build upon their knowledge and inspire them further to provide them with the correct building blocks for the school journey and future. 

 

We offer a Tiny Steps provision for two year olds, a Nursery for 3 to 4 year olds and a Reception class for children starting school aged 4 and 5. 

Our Curriculum

The Early Year Foundation Stage is a creative curriculum which allows young children to learn new skills and experiences through hands-on, exploration play. During every child’s first year in school, they will access a wide range of exciting activities, all of which are linked to each of the statements within the Early Years Curriculum.

There are 7 areas of learning. These areas are then subdivided into 17 aspects of learning.

Here at Haxby Road Primary Academy we have a strong belief that children learn best when allowed to explore their environment and see where their imagination takes them. We follow In the moment planning, taking the children’s ideas and interests to the next level. Highly trained staff that are passionate about enhancing these key moments, will seize every teachable moment, facilitating ideas and modelling language to provide children with outstanding opportunities to learn. Alongside this, we follow our whole school topics and themes to maximise learning opportunities and provide new and exciting ideas. Together the balance of child initiated learning alongside the adult led ensures that all children are able to access the whole Early years curriculum throughout their time with us. We also plan adult initiated cultural topics to raise awareness of different cultures and traditions.

Click below to see some of the exciting topics we will be linking our learning to: 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18h1rVTAvn_c5yIIO9SUTkkU6twLEnp4pDPDNW3pncr8/edit?slide=id.g30129df35d5_0_0#slide=id.g30129df35d5_0_0 

Here at Haxby Road, we follow the ‘Birth to Five’ framework. From Tiny Steps to Reception, children are tracked alongside this framework to assess their learning and plan next steps. 

Please click here, to see the aforementioned document:
https://birthto5matters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Birthto5Matters-download.pdf

At the end of Reception, children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals before they move into Year One.

Please click here, to find out about the Early Learning Goals and the end of year expectations:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5f8e4fb00f3323bf1a23a1/EYFS_group_and_school_based_from_September_2026.pdf

We also provide further enriching opportunities for children to develop their physical skills through soft play, forest schools and P.E lessons alongside outdoor play. We focus on building independence, risk taking and strengthening our movements and balance. Within Reception, children also receive weekly Spanish and Music lessons, led by specialist teachers!

 

Parents as Partners

We recognise the importance of parent’s involvement in their child’s development, we, therefore, encourage parents to take an active role in their child’s learning. We ensure we are available to talk with parents daily after school to share moments from home and school together. Class newsletters are sent out weekly, so that families can share schools learning at home too!

By working in true partnership with parents we aim to provide a stimulating, challenging environment which is a warm, friendly extension of home, where children and adults can explore, have fun, play, talk and learn together, developing as happy, confident and independent individuals within their community.

We invite parents and carers to Inspire sessions within the Tiny Steps and Nursery provision throughout the year. In Reception, families attend regular ‘Family Flourish’ sessions. These sessions allow parents and carers to ‘stay and play’ with their child, alongside the children showcasing their learning and inspiring home learning opportunities. 

Through the Seesaw app, school can share WOW moments of the children’s learning for families to keep up to date on progression within their child’s development. 

Phonics

At Haxby Road Primary Academy, we believe that reading is the “master skill” that unlocks the rest of the curriculum. We utilize Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a DfE-validated Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) programme, to ensure a unified, rigorous approach. Our intent is for every child, regardless of their starting point or background, to become a fluent, confident reader by the time they leave Key Stage 1. This enables them to transition seamlessly from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” as they progress through Key Stage 2.

 

The journey begins in our Tiny Steps provision and Nursery, focusing on the Foundations for Phonics:

  • Communication & Language: Prioritising high-quality “back-and-forth” interactions to expand vocabulary and oral narrative.
  • Phonological Awareness: Daily, play-based activities focusing on environmental sounds, rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration including rhyme time in Tiny Steps and Nursery. 
  • Oral Blending: Introduced systematically in Nursery to prime children for discrete phonics in Reception. 
  • Rich Text Environment: Children are immersed in our ‘Reading Spine’ a curated list of high-quality picture books, nursery rhymes, and poems.

 

We send home our weekly rhyme time focuses for families to join in with at home.

 

In Reception:

  • Lesson Structure: We follow the Little Wandle daily lesson structure: Review & Revisit, Teach & Practise, Practise & Apply, Review. 
  • Pace: Formal Phonics teaching begins in Week 2 of Reception. We follow the Little Wandle progression strictly to ensure all GPC (Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondence) code is covered. 
  • Reading Practice Sessions: Three times a week, children read in small groups with a trained Haxby Road adult. These sessions focus on Decoding, Prosody (expression), and Comprehension. 
  • Decodable Books: Children take home a Little Wandle book matched exactly to their secure phonic knowledge (95% fluency).

 

Apply today!

If you would like to apply for a Nursery or Tiny Steps place please complete the form below by clicking here! 

 

Tiny Steps

Meet the Team

Claire
Emma

Sessions

We’re delighted to offer a nurturing and engaging environment for your little ones, open five days a week during term time. Our educational hours run for 30 hours per week during term time, providing a consistent learning experience for all our children. Please note, we are closed on bank holidays and staff training days, allowing our dedicated team to continually enhance their skills.

We have a spacious setting designed to provide individual attention to every child.

Tiny Steps Provision

We have 30 places specifically for our youngest learners, accommodating 15 children per session to ensure a secure and calm environment.

We understand that every family has unique needs, which is why we offer two and a half-day sessions. This flexibility allows parents and carers to utilise their 30 hours of funded childcare across these convenient options, helping you balance your commitments with your child’s education.

Lunch time is 11:45–12:45

You can either purchase a school dinner or bring a pack lunch. School lunches are £2.55. You may be entitled to Free School Meals if you receive one of the qualifying benefits mentioned on the form below, we ask that you complete this form as your child’s school may benefit from additional funding called the pupil premium.

Pupil Premium and free school meals form

Depending on numbers within each session, we can explore additional options through discussions with the EYFS team.

Tiny Steps Day

At Tiny Steps, we understand how much children thrive on routine. Having a familiar pattern to their day gives them a sense of comfort and security. When children feel safe and cared for, they’re free to play happily, explore, show curiosity through their world, and grow in confidence as they learn.

Steps of the Day

  • 8:45 Good morning song with family workers alongside TLC (toast, love and care). Free flow in the indoor and outdoor learning environment, adults observe, support, step in and support those individual learning opportunities in the moment. Snack time is included within this time where will sit as a whole group.
  • 11.25 Foundations for Phonics which includes rhyme time.
  • 11:40 – 12:45 Dinner time
  • 12:50 Maths songs and naptime for some!
  • 12:45 – 2.30 Free flow in the indoor and outdoor learning environment, adults observe, support, step in and support those individual learning opportunities in the moment.
  • 2:30 – 2:45 Afternoon snack time
  • 2:50 – 3:00 Song and story time before home!

 

Two-year-olds Sessions

We offer two and a half day sessions. Children may be entitled to up to 30 hours free funding Please visit the Best Start In Life website for more information:
https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/

Families can also pay to access our Tiny Steps provision. Information can be found from our school office. The current price is £7.81 per hour

The term after a child turns 3, they are entitled to a Universal 15 hours Government funding.

Nursery

Meet the Team

Mrs Hannington
Miss Walker

Sessions

We’re delighted to offer a nurturing and engaging environment for your little ones, open five days a week during term time. Our educational hours run for 30 hours per week during term time, providing a consistent learning experience for all our children. Please note, we are closed on bank holidays and staff training days, allowing our dedicated team to continually enhance their skills.

The current price is £5.68 per hour. You can claim up to 30 hours of free funded hours if you are eligible.

To help with your busy schedule, we also offer extended care options: our Breakfast Club opens at 7:30 AM, and our After School Club runs until 6PM, for 3–4 year olds.

We have a spacious setting designed to provide individual attention to every child.

Our main nursery is a 48-place provision, which means we can welcome up to 24 children per session into our vibrant learning space.

We understand that every family has unique needs, which is why we offer two and a half-day sessions. This flexibility allows parents and carers to utilise their 30 hours of funded childcare across these convenient options, helping you balance your commitments with your child’s education.

Lunch time is 11:45–12:45

You can either purchase a school dinner or bring a pack lunch. School lunches are £2.55. You may be entitled to Free School Meals if you receive one of the qualifying benefits mentioned on the form below, we ask that you complete this form as your child’s school may benefit from additional funding called the pupil premium.

Pupil Premium and free school meals form

Depending on numbers within each session, we can explore additional options through discussions with the EYFS team.

A Nursery Day

We feel it is really important that children have consistent routines every day. This helps to provide the children with comfort and security. When children feel this sense of trust and safety they are free to play, explore and learn.

  • 8.45 Welcome songs, our special helper, check in and sharing our interests for the day alongside TLC time!
  • 8.55 Child initiated play both indoors and outdoors alongside some adult led activities. 
  • 10.30 whole class snacktime 
  • 11.20 Foundations for Phonics
  • 11.25 Toilet and prepare for lunch
  • 11.35 Foundations for phonics – Rhyme time
  • 11.45–12.15 Lunch time
  • 12.15 Maths input followed by Child initiated play both indoors and outdoors
  • 2.30 Dough disco – building our fine motor and physical skills
  • 2.45 Hometime routines including our story and songs!
  • 3.00 Hometime

TLC (Toast, Love and Care)

When children arrive in the morning they are provided with toast to help start their day. The children also have a nutritious snack throughout the day alongside water and milk.

Parents are required to pre order their child’s meals via the Appetite app. Children also have access to a daily snack which includes a piece of healthy fruit and milk. Children are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school daily to keep hydrated.

 

Reception

Meet the Team

Mrs Unwin
Miss Lawton

A Reception Day

We feel it is really important that children have consistent routines every day. This helps to provide the children with comfort and security. When children feel this sense of trust and safety they are free to play, explore and learn.

  • 8.40 Morning Starter activities including writing
  • 8.50 Little Wandle Phonics Lesson
  • 9.10 Little Wandle Handwriting
  • 9.30 Child initiated play both indoors and outdoors alongside some adult led activities. Whole class snack time is included alongside tidy up routines.
  • 11.00 Maths Lesson
  • 11.30–12.30 Lunch time
  • 12.30 Direct Teaching Session
  • 12.50 Daily reading practice
  • 1.10 Child initiated play both indoors and outdoors alongside some adult led activities.
  • 2.40 Review Lesson – we write about what we have played today!
  • 3.00 Story
  • 3.15 Hometime