Infants

The infants section of the school is made up of Class 1 and Class 2.  Class 1 has all of the Year R children and some of our Year 1 children; Class 2 has the rest of our Year 1 children and all of our Y2 children.  As we have 3 year groups to teach across 2 classes, a child will spend 2 years in one or other of the infant classes (Class 1 or Class 2).

When children enter the school they begin in Class 1 and follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.  These are our Reception children (Year R). The next academic year, the children all move into Year 1.  In Year 1 the children begin learning from the Key Stage One (KS1) curriculum once they are ready; this is usually by the start of the spring term in Year 1, however it might be sooner than this if the child is ready.  Year 1 and Year 2 make up what is known across the country as Key Stage 1 (KS1).

Class 1:
Class 1 is taught by Mrs Edmonds (Monday-Thursday) and Mrs Sivyer (Fridays) (Mrs Heritage from Easter 2021).

Year R (Reception) marks the final year of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).  The EYFS curriculum is covered at Nursery/Pre-Schools and then continued for the Reception year when children first start primary school, before moving into the National Curriculum in Year 1.  

The key method of learning in the Early Years is through ‘play’. This involves children having the freedom to apply their learned skills through practical, directed and non – directed activities which help to cement their learning. Children are continually immersed into a theme which is based on their interests and help them to develop their knowledge in the seven areas of development:

  1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  2. Communication and Language
  3. Physical Development
  4. Mathematics
  5. Literacy
  6. Understanding the World
  7. Expressive Arts and Design

Within the Early Years, learning occurs both indoors and outdoors. Learning is supported through directed activities which take place in both environments. At Barnham Broom Primary School, we believe that a wide range of experiences are vital to developing the learning of the whole child. This is why we do not view the seven areas of development as singular topics, but ones that integrate within each other. This is why we encourage outdoor learning as it provides many experiences which indoors cannot accommodate, such as bug hunting, seasonal change and large scale construction. We encourage children to be outside in all weathers to ensure they develop a breath of experience and knowledge throughout their time in the Early Years.

  1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Self-confidence, Self-respect, self-awareness
  • Awareness of helping others
  • Relationships with peers and adults
  • Positive behaviour
  • Morals and feelings
  • Effects of our actions and controlling our emotions
  • Differences and similarities
  • Decision making
  • Co-operation, sharing and taking turns
  1. Literacy
  • Rhyming words
  • Responding to stories and poems
  • Read, Write, Inc. – a synthetic phonics approach to learning to read and write
  • Sounding out and blending
  • Letter formation
  • Reading development
  • Independent writing
  • Making up/copying stories
  • Simple sentence structure
  1. Communication and Language
  • Understanding language
  • Listening skills
  • Speaking audibly and clearly
  • Concentration and attention
  • Breaking up words into sounds
  • Questioning skills
  • Understanding humour
  • Extending vocabulary
  • Correct responses
  • Initiating conversations
  • Resolving conflicts
  1. Understanding the World
  • Study of locality (where we live and our home)
  • Comparison activities
  • Development of geographical vocabulary
  • Seasonal changes
  • Weather and dates
  • Awareness of past and present (e.g. electricity and toys)
  • Change and life cycles (growth of animals, humans and plants)
  • Observation skills
  • People and their communities (differences and comparisons)
  • Experimenting
  • Technological understanding
  • Finding out and exploring information
  1. Physical Development
  • Outdoor play (push and pull equipment, large construction, ball games)
  • P.E. (body awareness, effect of exercise, balancing and strength)
  • Gross and Fine motor development
  • Manipulative skills over large and small tools
  • Writing development (pencil grip and control)
  1. Expressive Arts and Design
  • Exploring and using various media e.g. paint, play dough, clay, chalk, crayon
  • Colour mixing
  • Junk modelling
  • Singing
  • Using instruments
  • Imaginative play
  • Role play
  • Dancing
  1. Mathematics
  • Extending mathematical vocabulary
  • Creating and continuing patterns
  • Matching and sorting
  • Counting with one-to-one correspondence
  • Number recognition
  • Value of numbers
  • Addition and subtraction
  • Money
  • Time (clock, days, weeks, day and night)
  • Measuring with standard (rulers, tape measure) and non-standard units (fingers, counters)
  • 2D and 3D shapes
  • Sequencing
  • Weight, length, height and capacity


Our Year 1 children are taught either in Class 1 or Class 2.  We look at which environment will best suit each individual child's needs when making a decision as to which class a child will be in.  Our children will either spend two years in class 1 or two years in class 2 as they move through the school. 

Year 1 children in Class 1:

Although working alongside the Reception children, the Year 1 children access the Year 1 curriculum.  The Year 1 children are taught the Year 1 objectives under similar umbrella topics, regardless of whether they are in Class 1 or Class 2.  The EYFS/KS1 team work very closely together to ensure continuity and consistency in learning and opportunity.  The curriculum is covered through a rolling 2-year programme to ensure that the children do not repeat learning when in a class for 2 years.


Class 2:

Class 2 is taught by Mrs Sivyer and Mrs Wakeman.  

Year 1 children in Class 2:

Throughout the school the children are treated as individuals and are taught according to their ability, the work in each class is differentiated accordingly.  In Year 1 the children begin learning from the Key Stage One (KS1) curriculum once they are ready., this is usually within the Autumn Term.

The two infant classes work closely together, so that the children in Year 1 in both classes are exposed to the same experiences. 
There is a shared outdoor area between the classes which is used for many different activities (often messy ones!), to develop skills and understanding in English, Maths, Science, Art and DT, Computing, Music, role play, fine and gross motor skills, working together, investigating and experimenting.   


A picture of our outdoor area before the lovely resources and equipment have been arranged for the children to access:

Shared Outdoor Area