Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and the age of 5 have a major impact on their future life chances.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the basis to support children’s learning and development and to keep children safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide t right foundation for good future progress through school life.

There are 7 areas of learning and development that shape our educational programme. All are important and interconnected:

Communication and Language

Development involves us giving children the opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

Physical Development

Involves us providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their coordination, control and movement. We teach children the importance of physical activity and the benefits of healthy food choices.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Involves us supporting the children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for each other; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and have confidence in their own abilities.

Literacy

Development is where we will be encouraging the children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children are given access to a wide range of reading material and we often make visits to the local library for story times as well as allowing to children to choose books of interest to them.

Mathematics

Involves us providing he children with opportunities to develop and improve their counting and use of numbers as well as calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and description of shapes, spaces and measures.

Expressive Arts And Design

Involves us allowing the children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities such as art, music, movement, dance, role play and design and technology.

For children for whom English is not the home language we will work closely with the family to ensure we can provide opportunities for the children to develop and use their home language in play and learning and supporting their language development at home.