Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a framework, which provides the guidance for and legal requirements of all early years workers, when supporting learning and development of children in their care.

The framework describes the stages of development of children from birth – five years (at the end of their reception year at school) and how they can be kept safe and well cared for, in order for them to achieve their full potential. As well as providing guidance for children’s care, learning and play, the framework also sets out the statutory welfare requirements including the safety of children, suitability of early years workers and the required minimum staffing ratio’s.

The EYFS is a principle-based approach, with four principles related to a theme. Each principle is supported by four commitments, which describe how the principles can be put into practice.

The four themes and principles are detailed below:

Theme: A Unique Child

Principle: Every Child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.

Theme: Positive Relationships

Principle: Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.

Theme: Enabling Environments

Principle: The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.

Theme: Learning and Development

Principle: Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and interconnected.

From the Learning and Development theme, come the six areas of learning and development:

• Knowledge and Understanding of the World
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication, Language and Literacy
• Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
• Creative Development
• Physical Development

These six areas of learning and development together make up the skills, knowledge and experiences appropriate for babies and young children as they grow, learn and develop. They are all underpinned by the principles detailed above and are connected to one another, ensuring each child can reach their full potential and the Early Learning Goals.

What do you need to know?

• Children should have an environment that will provide them with independence, freedom of choice and stimulating opportunities. The environment should be planned and resourced carefully, to allow for a variety of experiences including areas appropriate for quiet, imaginative, constructive, tactile, creative, physical and free play. The environment should of course incorporate indoor and outdoor opportunities and experiences.
• Children should have their individual needs, interests and passions for learning met and planned for in order for them to reach their full potential. Your input to your child’s learning and development is very valuable!
• At Little Learners we implement the EYFS to a very high standard, and our staff continually attend training in all areas of the framework, to ensure our practice reflects all of the guidance and legal requirements. However, we believe that the child-centred approach that we offer (adapting practices from the Reggio Approach and the Montessori Method) far exceeds the requirements of the EYFS, and our practice will always be of a very high standard.
• To ensure children are working well towards the six areas of learning and development, staff at Little Learners carefully observe children throughout the day and during activities. Each Key person uses the evidence that has been recorded in observations to plan for the next steps in their key children’s learning and development.

What can you do to help your children?

As your childs parent / carer you are their first and most important educator, and your child will be learning continually while they are with you. This is why it is so important, as a child’s first educator, that you are able to share and discuss your child’s achievements with your child’s key person at nursery.

There are many ways to further extend your child’s learning and development; here are just a few ideas:

• Singing nursery rhymes.
• Reading stories.
• Talking to your child whilst you are out and about, about the different things you can see.
• Counting the stairs as you go up and down.
• Allow some independence, Eg. Children feeding themselves.
• Allow opportunities for spontaneous mark making, drawing or writing.
• Make written or mental notes of children’s achievements, and most important of all, provide plenty of praise and encouragement for all of your child’s achievements and efforts.