The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
The Early Years Foundation Stage is the curriculum covering children’s development form birth until the end of the Reception year. We support children to make their own play choices where teachers join in with children’s play and observe their interests to extend learning. Children also take part in adult led activities to help develop specific skills, to provide new learning experiences and to inspire new interests. The EYFS is made up of seven areas of learning and development. These are all related to one another but divided into Prime and Specific Areas.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
This area involves helping children to build their self-confidence and to develop a strong sense of themselves. Children are supported to develop their social skills, to form positive relationships and respect for others. Children’s emotional well-being is nurtured by helping them to understand and manage their own feelings and behaviour such as using calming strategies.
Communication and Language
This area develops children’s confidence and skills in listening, understanding, speaking and communicating. We will be having a big focus on developing children's vocabulary through quality interactions and conversations and a language-enriched environment.
This area involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; developing their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food. Children will be developing in both gross motor and fine motor skills.
This area focuses on learning the skills needed for reading and writing. Through a range of contexts children explore rhymes, songs, sounds, stories and mark-making opportunities. We will be teaching reading and writing through No Nonsense Phonics. Phonics is the tool that helps children to learn to read and write. It is the foundation of our English learning.
This area supports children to develop their understanding of numbers, calculating, shape, space and measures. We will focusing on having a deeper understanding of numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. We will also be focusing on mathematical vocabulary and giving the children a variety of experiences with number. Furthermore, we will be developing children's spatial reasoning skills.
Understanding The World
This area supports children to make sense of their physical world and their community. Children have opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment. Ensuring children are aware of their community, family and significant figures (past and present) through a variety of experiences whilst enriching children's vocabulary throughout.
Expressive Arts and Design
This area supports children in developing their creativity through exploring a range of materials and media to express themselves. Children are encouraged to explore and share their thinking, feelings and ideas in music, art, movement, role play and technology.
For any further information on the EYFS curriculum, any member of our EYFS team would be happy to answer your questions. Please see below more information regarding our school being an Early Adopter School.
Early Adopter Framework