What is the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Nurseries, Preschools, reception classes and childminders must follow a legal document called the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. The Early Years Foundation Stage sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old.
Learning and Development Requirements
The EYFS Framework explains how and what your child will be learning to support their healthy development.
The Early Years Foundation Stage concentrates on seven areas of learning and is split in to two areas: Prime and Specific.
PRIME AREAS:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
The 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 needed to flourish in the rest of their development.
SPECIFIC AREAS:
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design
The learning environment both indoors and out will reflect the Specific areas. Opportunities for your child to independently explore and discover resources are provided throughout to meet all areas of the curriculum.
These 7 areas are used when planning your child’s learning and activities, which will be suited to your child’s individual needs. The EYFS is a little bit like the curriculum in primary and secondary schools but is specifically for young children. It is designed to be really flexible so the staff can follow your child’s unique needs and interests as all children develop at their own pace.
Planning for your child in the EYFS
When planning for your child’s learning and activities, it is done so using the Planning Cycle.
We start by observing the child. We then assess the observation to decide how the child is developing, what they like doing and what they are learning through their play. Next comes the planning. We use the observation to help us find a next step and plan this through experiences and opportunities. From these planned activities we evaluate the child’s learning, link it to the EYFS learning outcomes (as displayed in your child’s folder) and record this on each child’s development tracker which will identify any areas for further development.
In order for the planning cycle to work effectively and for the children to develop to their full potential, parent partnership is essential to build a wider picture of the child. The homework we send home for you to complete helps us to do this and helps you to contribute to your child’s learning.
This is all just a brief summary of what the EYFS is and how we plan for the children within it. If you would like more detailed information about the EYFS, what to expect and when or some pointers on how you can support your child’s learning at home, we have found a very useful link you can follow. It is specifically for parents so is very parent friendly.
