Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning to be resilient, capable, confident and self- assured.
Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory curriculum for all settings where children aged 5 years or under attend.
The four principles which form the basis of EYFS:
- A Unique Child – Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning to be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
- Positive Relationships – Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
- Enabling Environments – Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, where their individual needs are met and links are strong between school and home life.
- Learning and Development – Children develop and learn in different ways. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The seven areas of learning
The three prime areas:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development – Concentrating on “making relationships” with peers and adults through play and conversation. Developing “self-confidence and self-awareness” by encouraging children to speak up in a group and ask for help when they need it. “Managing feelings and behaviour” where children develop a sense of empathy towards others and learn to behave appropriately in different situations.
- Communication and Language – Where the focus is on “Listening and attention”- Conversation and concentration skills, “understanding” instructions and “speaking” to peers and adults in a variety of situations.
- Physical Development – “Moving and handling” of equipment. This includes sports equipment as well as equipment used in the class room, such as pencils and scissors. “Health and self-care”, teaching children to understand what being healthy means and being able to care for themselves for example dressing and going to the bathroom independently.
The four specific areas:
- Literacy – “Reading”, laying the foundations for children’s reading through rhyme, letter sounds, stories and books. “Writing”, allowing children to make marks on paper and assign meaning to them. Looking at letter formations and learning to write their name.
- Mathematics – “Number”, learning to count, recognise, understand and compare numbers and groups of objects. Begin to have an understanding of simple addition and subtraction. “Space, shape and measure”, learning about shapes and patterns and exploring with measurement, height and weight and developing mathematical language.
- Understanding the world – “People and communities”, children talk about home and past experiences and begin to have an understanding of other cultures. “The world”, exploring the environment and observing animals and nature. “Technology”, making use of the technology of offer for example, computers and interactive whiteboard and developing an understanding for technological toys.
- Expressive arts and design – “Exploring and using media and materials”; singing songs and using instruments, leaning about colours and textures and building structures using a variety of materials and tools. “Being imaginative”; through role-play, singing, art, dance and drama.