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
Planning in Reception - 2 year overviewPlanning in Nursery - 2 year overview
Nursery Termly Planning
Helpful Documents for core areas of learning
Ducklings (Nursery) |
Robins (Reception) |
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Phonics |
Phonics |
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Mark Making |
Mark Making |
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Reading |
Reading |
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Maths |
Maths |
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.
Click Here for: Tapestry (Curriculum - Early Years Foundation Stage menu tab)
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: Oxford Owl Reading
Maths: Maths Games
Letter Sounds: Little Wandle Letters & Sounds
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.
British Values in EYFS
The staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage at St Francis CE Primary School is committed to serving our families and embraces the multicultural, multi-faith and ever changing local community.
We follow equal opportunities guidance to ensure there is no discrimination against any individual or group whatever faith, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, political or financial status. The early years staff is determined to model, promote and reinforce British values for all children and families.
The five key British values are embedded into the ethos, principles and practice in our early years setting.
- 1.Democracy: Making decisions together
- 2.The Rule of Law: understanding that rules matter
- 3.Individual Liberty: Freedom for all
- 4.Mutual Respect: Treat other as you would like to be treated
- 5.Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs : Treat others as you would like to be treated
Cultural Capital in EYFS
Cultural Capital is the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success. It is about giving children the best possible start to their early education.
What does ‘Cultural Capital’ mean in the EYFS?
1.Broadening minds and outlook on life - using ‘Philosophy for Children’ – asking thought provoking questions and children can answer using their imagination or experience.
2.Experiencing awe and wonder – walking into the setting and saying ‘Wow! I want to play with that!’
3.Reducing disadvantage – helping all children achieve.
4.Developing knowledge and understanding of the community and wider world – talking about and providing experiences within our setting which reflect the community of St Francis Primary School and the world beyond.
Supporting communicATION AND LANGUAGE
Strategies used in the EYFS to support Communication and Language interaction
TRANSITION FROM NURSERY INTO RECEPTION
School Readiness at St Francis CE Primary School
Other useful documents and links
What to Expect When - EYFS Booklet
Child Initiated and Adult Initiated - How we use both
