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 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.
(Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage 2012)
The setting will promote the children’s learning and development through:
- Playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;
- Active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements;
- Creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planning, observation and assessment. They should enjoy purposeful play with a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.
The Pre-school will consider the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child in their care, and will use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all of the areas of learning and development.
Practitioners working with the youngest children are expected to focus strongly on the three prime areas, which are the basis for successful learning in the other four specific areas. (EYFS)
The Three Prime Areas
Communication and Language:
Listening and attention: children listen attentively in a range of situations. They listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity.
Understanding: children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events.
Speaking: children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.
Physical development:
Moving and handling: children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
Health and self-care: children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently.
Personal, social and emotional development:
Self-confidence and self-awareness: children are confident to try new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. They say when they do or don’t need help.
Managing feelings and behaviour: children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others’ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable. They work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules. They adjust their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine in their stride.
Making relationships: children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children.
The four specific areas
Literacy:
This includes reading, writing and phonic knowledge
Mathematics:
Numbers: children count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20 and problem solving
Shape, space and measures: children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money
Understanding the world:
People and communities: children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others.
The world: children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and living things
Technology: children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools.
Expressive arts and design:
Exploring and using media and materials: Children sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them. They explore using a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
Being imaginative: children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role-play and stories.
(EYFS 2012)
The Pre-school will provide:
A “Quality workforce” Staff hold relevant qualifications in Early years and regularly update knowledge with training.
Use “A Key person System” The pre-school allocates the children a key person who is responsible for their profile and learning journey but all staff are responsible for the care and well being of all children.
Promote “Individual Learning” the pre-school tailors learning to meet children’s individual needs and interests.
Use “Assessment” to recognise progress and understand a child’s individual needs, they will observe and assess children during play and learning to allow them to plan activities.
Assessment should not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children, nor require excessive paperwork. Paperwork should be limited to that which is absolutely necessary to promote children’s successful learning and development. Parents and/or carers should be kept up-to-date with their child’s progress and development. (EYFS)
Assessment at the end of the foundation stage:
In reception at the end of your child’s fifth year their development will be assessed against the Early Learning Goals to indicate the child’s levels of attainment.
Integrated Two Years Check:
When a child joins the setting before the age of 3 we will assess their progress and development using guidelines provided by Surrey Early Years and the Local Health Team. We will share this information with you and discuss any concerns we may have. This check should then be kept in your child’s red health book and shared with your health visitor. If your child has attended another setting or has already had a two year check completed we will not need to undertake this review.
Our reports and registration details can be found on the government’s web site here.