"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."

~Proverbs 22:6~

Early Year Foundation Stage

We work from the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework which sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five years old.  This academic year, we follow the updated EYFS Statutory Framework and use guidance and support from Development Matters as well as Birth to Five to ensure all children experience a unique and beneficial curriculum which supports and extends their learning journey. 

EYFS Curriculum Overview

What to expect in the EYFS- A guide for parents.

EYFS Policy

The four guiding principles

There are four guiding principles in the EYFS. We believe it is important that these principles are used when implementing the seven learning and development areas in the EYFS.
The principles are: 

1. That every child is unique
2. That every child can learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
3. That children learn and develop best in enabling environments
4. That children develop and learn in different ways

 In planning and guiding what children learn, we reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust practice appropriately.

Three characteristics of effective teaching and 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

Areas of learning and development in Early Years

There are seven main areas of learning and development.

The Prime Areas:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development

The Specific Areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Components

The main components of each of the seven areas are: 

 Personal, Social and Emotional:

• Self-Regulation
• Managing Self
• Building Relationships

Physical Development:

• Gross Motor Skills
• Fine Motor Skills

Communication and Language:

• Listening, Attention and Understanding
• Speaking

 Literacy:

• Comprehension
• Word Reading
• Writing

 Mathematics:

• Numbers
• Numerical Patterns

Understanding the World:

• Past and Present
• People, Culture and Communities
• The Natural World

Expressive Arts & Design:

• Creating with Materials
• Being Imaginative and Expressive