At Brierley Hill Primary School, we believe that early childhood education is more than just preparation for school—it is the foundation for lifelong learning and well-being.
Our EYFS curriculum, underpinned by CUSP Early Foundations, ensures that children develop:
🌱 Secure foundational knowledge – Carefully sequenced learning that builds curiosity, language, and understanding.
📖 Rich language and literacy experiences – High-quality books, structured story time, and explicit vocabulary instruction.
🧠 Opportunities for deep thinking and exploration – Encouraging play, guided discovery, and critical thinking.
🗣 Fluency in communication and social interaction – Developing oracy through structured talk and enriched interactions.
🎭 Creativity and problem-solving skills – Learning through imaginative play, music, movement, and artistic expression.
We are committed to ensuring that our EYFS provision is exceptional, and we are working closely with Julie Sherrington, an EYFS specialist, to refine and enhance our curriculum, ensuring the best outcomes for our children.
Our ambition is that every child leaves EYFS with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to thrive in Key Stage 1 and beyond.
Our CUSP Early Foundations Curriculum is structured into three key elements:
🔹 Clearly defined knowledge and skills that children should acquire throughout EYFS.
🔹 Ensures children develop early literacy, numeracy, and understanding of the world.
🔹 Explicit teaching and play-based learning reinforce understanding.
🔹 Carefully planned direct teaching, guided activities, and continuous provision.
🔹 Encourages exploration, experimentation, and active learning.
🔹 Provides real-life, hands-on experiences that deepen understanding.
📚 A carefully curated literature spine featuring 25 core texts.
📖 Explicit vocabulary teaching to develop comprehension, reasoning, and articulation.
🗣 Fluency, oracy, and drama – Engaging children in structured discussions, role-play, and storytelling.
This framework ensures that learning is structured, intentional, and responsive to children's needs.
🤝 Developing self-regulation, resilience, and emotional literacy.
🗣 Encouraging positive interactions, turn-taking, and respectful communication.
🌍 Learning about friendships, diversity, and social responsibility.
📖 A vibrant reading culture where high-quality texts are embedded in the curriculum throughout the day. Books are cherished across the classroom, providing various opportunities for children to cultivate a love for reading.
🔄 Explicit vocabulary instruction, systematically revisited and interwoven across all subjects.
🎭 Drama, role-play, and enriched interactions to build confidence in speaking.
🗣 Wellcomm Language Assessment – Used to track and support early speech and communication development.
📝 Language development through exposure to adventurous vocabulary – Supporting comprehension and expressive communication.
🏃 Gross motor skills – Strengthening core muscles through movement, outdoor play, and balance activities.
✍️ Fine motor skills – Developing early writing through mark-making, pencil control, and manipulative tasks.
🎾 Physical Literacy Interventions – Led by our PE Coach to enhance physical development, motor skills, and coordination.
🏋️ Extra Physical Development Sessions – Targeted interventions designed to support motor skills, spatial awareness, and self-confidence in movement.
📚 Phonics (Read Write Inc.) – Systematic, structured teaching of early reading and spelling.
📖 Daily phonics lessons, alongside three Read Write Inc. reading sessions per week.
📚 Reading sessions follow a structured cycle:
✔ Decoding Lesson – Focused on accurate word reading.
✔ Prosody Lesson – Teaching children to read with fluency and expression.
✔ Comprehension Lesson – Developing understanding and discussion skills.
📖 These books are then shared and celebrated at home, ensuring a strong school-home reading connection.
📖 Texts are carefully selected to include a balance of fiction and non-fiction, broadening children's knowledge and interests.
🔢 Our EYFS maths curriculum follows the White Rose Maths framework, ensuring:
✔ Deep conceptual understanding through small, sequenced steps.
✔ Fluency in number recognition, counting, and early problem-solving.
✔ Strong mathematical language and reasoning skills.
✔ Hands-on learning through manipulatives, songs, and real-world experiences.
🏃 Physical Maths – Using outdoor activities and movement to reinforce key mathematical concepts in an engaging way.
🔬 STEM Exploration – Encouraging problem-solving, investigation, and practical application of mathematical thinking.
🌍 Exploring local communities, seasonal changes, and simple geography.
🔬 Encouraging curiosity about nature, science, and technology.
🎭 Celebrating cultural diversity and traditions through meaningful experiences.
📚 Regular visits to Brierley Hill Library, reinforcing our commitment to a strong reading culture.
🎨 Exploring colour, texture, and artistic expression through painting and model-making.
🎼 Engaging in music, dance, and performance to develop creativity and confidence.
🎭 Using role-play and storytelling to deepen imaginative thinking and narrative development.
📚 Every child takes home a ‘Reading for Pleasure’ book, in addition to their phonics book, encouraging a love for reading beyond decoding skills.
🏛 Links with Brierley Hill Library – Reception to Year 2 have all visited, and children regularly borrow books.
📖 EYFS & KS1 Library – A dedicated space where children regularly visit to explore new books and foster independent reading habits.
1️⃣ Prior Knowledge Activation – Linking learning to previous experiences.
2️⃣ Core Literature Text / Hook – Engaging pupils through a rich, high-quality story.
3️⃣ Foundational Knowledge Instruction – Explicit teaching of key concepts.
4️⃣ Opportunities and Experiences – Embedding learning through play, discussion, and hands-on activities.
5️⃣ Structured Storytime – Reinforcing language, ideas, and comprehension.
6️⃣ Review and Reflection – Encouraging children to articulate their learning.
By the time children leave EYFS, they are:
🎓 School-ready – Equipped with secure foundational knowledge for Key Stage 1.
📖 Confident communicators – Expressing thoughts clearly using rich vocabulary.
🔍 Curious, engaged learners – Asking questions, exploring ideas, and making connections.
🗣 Socially and emotionally secure – Building relationships, resilience, and self-regulation.
🚀 Prepared for lifelong learning – With a love of stories, play, and discovery.
📩 For more details, contact Curriculum Lead, Tom Amphlett, at info@brierleyhill.dudley.sch.uk. 🚀