Early Years Foundation Stage

The EYFS is a framework that sets standards to help us deliver personalised learning, development and care that will enhance the development of all the children in the early years, while keeping them safe and healthy.

The learning and development programme offered to the children attending our school will have its basis in the ‘Early Learning Goals’ that establish expectations for most children to reach by the end of Reception. These goals provide the basis for planning throughout the EYFS, ensuring secure foundations for future learning.

THE EYFS is made up of seven areas of learning

The prime areas of learning are:

Personal Social and Emotional Development

Children need to gain a positive sense of themselves and others. During the Foundation Stage they learn how to form positive relationships and to develop respect for others, whilst building confidence in their own abilities. They develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings and to understand what appropriate behaviour in different situations is.

Communication and Language

This area of learning involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment to enable them to build their confidence and skills in expressing themselves and to enable them to speak and listen in a range of situations.

Physical Development

This provides opportunities for young children to be active to improve their co-ordination, control, and movement, which is vital in enabling them to handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing. Children will also begin to understand the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food.

The specific areas of learning are:

Literacy

Children are shown how to link sounds and letters to develop their ability to begin to read and write. Within the classroom the children are given access to a wide range of reading materials to develop their interest in literature.

Mathematics

The children are provided with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting; understanding and using numbers; calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

Understanding the World

Children are enabled to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places and the environment.

Expressive Arts and Design 

Children explore and play with a wide range of media and materials and are given opportunities to share their thoughts, ideas and feelings through art, music, movement, dance, role play and design technology.

We cover these areas through a thematic and creative approach that supports children’s development in all areas alongside opportunities that extend children’s spontaneous learning and interests. We deliver the curriculum through topics which also include special celebrations and festivals such as Christmas, Diwali, Chinese New Year and many more.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning

When planning and guiding children’s activities, we also take account of the different ways that children learn and reflect these in our practice. These characteristics of effective learning are: 

Playing and Exploring 

Children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go'

Active Learning 

Children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements

Creating and Thinking Critically 

Children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Our provision in the early years follows the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2024.