Early Years Foundation Stage
The EYFS was revised in September 2020 and was legally effective from 1st September 2021 for all providers of early years education and care.
The Government’s two key aims for the changes to the EYFS;
- To improve outcomes at age five, particularly in early language and literacy
- Reduce workload so that practitioners can spend more time interacting with children in their care.
Children in our Early Years phase follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, which consists of seven areas of learning. These are:
Communication and Language
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts & Design
Here are the main components of each of the seven areas.
Communication and Language experiences are about:
Listening, attention and Understanding
- Speaking
Personal, Social and Emotional experiences are about:
Self Regulation
Managing Self
Building Relationships
Physical Development experiences are about:
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Literacy experiences are about:
- Comprehension
- Word Reading
- Writing
Mathematics experiences are about:
- Number
Numerical Patterns
Understanding the World experiences are about:
Past and Present
People, Cultures and Communities
Expressive Arts & Design experiences are about:
Creating with Materials
Being Imaginative and Expressive
We teach children by ensuring challenging, playful opportunities across both the prime and specific areas of learning. We recognise that all children develop and learn at different rates and so our EYFS curriculum is designed flexibly to meet the needs of all individuals though a balance of adult led and child initiated activities. In planning and guiding children’s activities, all practitioners must reflect on the different ways that children learn and reflect these in their practice. We support individual learning through our skilful interactions and observations.
The Characteristics of Effective Learning underpin our curriculum and pupils learning, through an enabling and well-planned environment we ensure we provide meaningful opportunities for playing and learning, active learning and creating and thinking critically. As children utilise and develop these characteristics they become effective and motivated learners who demonstrate high levels of well-being and involvement.