The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) explained

 

The EYFS sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

A newly revised EYFS framework was published in 2021 and from September all early years settings should be adhering to it. Here is a breakdown of the framework.

 

The EYFS seeks to provide:

• quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind

• a secure foundation through planning for the learning and development of each individual child, and assessing and reviewing what they have learned regularly

• partnership working between practitioners and parents and/or carers

• equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported

 

Four guiding principles should shape practice in early years settings. These are:

• every child is a unique child

• positive relationships

• an enabling environment with teaching and support from adults

• learning and development

 

There are 7 areas of learning and development

These are the prime areas:

  • communication and language

  • physical development

  • personal, social and emotional development

These are the specific areas

  • literacy

  • mathematics

  • understanding the world

  • expressive arts and design

 

Early Years settings are encouraged to develop their own curriculum based on the developmental stages set out in the Birth to 5 document which goes hand in hand with the EYFS framework.

Assessment should not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children, nor require excessive paperwork.

Parents and/or carers should be kept up-to-date with their child’s progress and development. Practitioners should address any learning and development needs in partnership with parents and/or carers, and any relevant professionals.

There is an emphasis on partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers.

Oral health alongside the requirement to “promote the good health of children” has been added to the EYFS framework.

2 year progress check

When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners must review their progress, and provide parents and/or carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the prime areas. This progress check must identify the child’s strengths, and any areas where the child’s progress is less than expected. If there are significant emerging concerns, or an identified special educational need or disability, practitioners should develop a targeted plan to support the child’s future.

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What does all this mean for you and your child at Clophill Preschool?

  • Our curriculum based on nature and the outdoors; we teach the children through real life experiences.

  • We teach children all the 7 areas of the EYFS and beyond, we just do it outside.  

  • Every child is assigned a key worker.

  • The relationship between preschool and home is vital to ensure the best development of the whole child.

  • It is vital that children feel settled and happy in setting to start with, or they will not reach their learning potential.

  • Our staff build strong relationships with the children in their care, this way they can continually assess and support your child through their teaching.

  • Staff will spend lots of time playing with and teaching your child rather than writing down lots of information about them

  • Staff will regularly feed back to you about your child and are always available for you to chat further.

  • All children are valued and given a voice.

  • If we believe your child needs additional support we will ensure they receive it and work together with you, and other agencies if appropriate to meet their needs.

  • The wellbeing and health of our children and their families is very important to us and we can offer support and assistance in these areas through activities in preschool, links to other professionals and an open door policy.

If you have any questions about your child’s learning please get in touch with us.

Please click the links to view the new EYFS framework and Birth to 5 documents.