Early Years Foundation Stage

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is how the government and early years professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and age 5. It is a framework setting the standards for learning, development and care for children during this period.

Nurseries and Reception classes must follow the legal document called the EYFS Statutory Framework.

How Your Child Will be Learning

The EYFS Framework explains how and what your child will be learning to support their healthy development. Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development.

Children should mostly develop the 3 prime areas first. These are:

Communication and language
Physical development
Personal, social and emotional development.

These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.

As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas. These are:

Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the world
Expressive arts and design

These 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. The professionals teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities are suited to your child’s unique needs. This is a little bit like a curriculum in primary and secondary schools, but it's suitable for very young children, and it's designed to be really flexible so that staff can follow your child's unique needs and interests. Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside.

Characteristics of Effective Learning Guidance for EYFS

Meet Our Foundation Stage Team

Early Years Leader - Mrs Crick

Nursery (Ducklings)

Teachers - Mrs Coates and Mrs Sellers

Support Staff - Mrs Page, Miss Lakab & Ms Perry

Robins Class (Reception)

Teacher - Ms Hart

Support Staff - Miss Leenz

Goldfinches Class (Reception)

Teacher - Ms Finch

Support Staff - Ms Wake

Reception Long Term Plan Nursery Long Term Plan

Please click here to read our EYFS Policy

Please click here to read our EYFS Marking Policy

Please click on Development Matters to view the document which outlines the criteria against which your child is assessed.

What to Expect When is a useful document which provides guidance to parents / carers on their child's learning and development in the early years.

How can YOU help with your child's learning?

All the activities that you do with your child at home are important in supporting their learning and development, and have a really long lasting effect on your child’s learning as they progress towards and through school. For example, talking, reading, singing nursery rhymes with your child or cooking and baking with them.

Reading At Home

Click here for 10 tips on listening to your child read at home.

For more tips on reading with your children at home please follow this link click here. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will see some guides to reading with your child. If English is not your first language then please do not worry, this fantastic resource can be downloaded in a number of different languages.

You will also find some useful websites to support your child's learning.

Home learning

Please click here to read our home learning policy

Useful Websites to Support Your Child

Reading: http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/Reading

Phonics Games: http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ParentsMenu.htm

Phonics Letter Sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djz82FBYiug

Mathematics: http://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/3-5-years/counting