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 age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (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.

We believe in accordance with the EYFS Development Matters Framework that play and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically underpin learning and development across all areas. This supports the child to remain an effective and motivated learner.

EYFS Curriculum

We aim to develop and broaden the range of children's learning experiences to leave them confident, eager and enthusiastic learners who are looking forward to school. The learning environments across Foundation Stage are stimulating, exciting and well organised to support independent learning. Much of the children's learning will be through play where children are offered a range of activities, each with an underlying educational purpose. Play is the means by which the children explore a variety of experiences in different situations for a variety of purposes. From the resources made available, the children can choose what they need to support their learning independently. Children take part in activities and experiences that supports development and promotes their learning based on the ‘Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage’. Initially, we focus on the Prime areas as these are fundamental for the children to work together and be able to communicate, and this supports their development in all other areas. 

The Prime Areas are:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

The Specific Areas (these include essential skills and knowledge for children to participate successfully in society) are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

The specific areas will have resources and experiences available throughout the areas in the setting, to encourage the children to access them as they become ready.

These 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities according to their unique needs. It is designed to be flexible so that we can follow your child' needs and interests.

At the end of Reception the children will be assessed against the Early Learning Goals and their progress will be shared with parents. The framework covers the education and care of all children in Early Years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Parental engagement

We encourage parents to be partners and as such become involved in their child’s learning. We ask them to contribute by telling us about their interests and completing home/school activities.  We provide opportunities to talk to staff on a daily basis and we aim to support parents with any guidance that they need, by building on good, open relationships.  We also have termly events for parents to be involved in. This can be in the form of ‘Stay and Play’ sessions, performances or activities linked to themes or physical development.