Early Years Foundation Stage

EYFS Curriculum

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) encompasses the nursery and reception classes in school.

The EYFS is crucial in every child’s development and during these first years basic skills and attitudes to learning and socialising are established.

Four guiding principles shape out practice in the early years. These are:

  • every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
  • children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
  • children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
  • importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates

Aims and objectives

Our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum has recently been fully reviewed in line with the government’s Early Years Foundation Stage Framework 2021. This is the guidance document that underpins children’s early learning. It contains:

Three prime areas:

  • communication and language
  • physical development
  • personal, social and emotional development

And four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:

  • literacy
  • mathematics
  • understanding the world
  • expressive arts and design

We aim to make the transition from home to school as smooth as possible and provide a secure and caring environment in which children are happy and eager to learn. We believe that young children learn best from a curriculum that offers practical play-based learning opportunities, where children are encouraged to investigate, explore, experiment, ask questions and be imaginative and creative.

We recognise the uniqueness of each child and value every child’s interests. We aim to deliver learning through a combination of adult led and child initiated play, based on prior experiences and interests of the children.

We teach children how to make considered choices in their learning and most importantly, the skills needed to be independent, lifelong learners. We value autonomous learning, so that the children reach their full potential while at the same time setting high attainment targets and making behavioural expectations clear and consistent

We aim to support children with special educational needs and to develop a working partnership between home and school to enable children to develop in confidence and increasing independence.

Related information

EYFS: communication and language

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EYFS: physical development

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EYFS: personal, social and emotional development

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EYFS: literacy

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EYFS: mathematics

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EYFS: understanding the world

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EYFS: expressive arts and design

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View our Curriculum page