About 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 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, 2021)

The revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework is mandatory for all early years providers in England from 1 September 2021. The EYFS Framework supports how and what your child will learn in Reception. It has been established to promote children’s healthy development and learning which will enable children to work towards achieving the Early Learning Goals. These goals are what most children are expected to achieve by the end of their time in the EYFS (at the end of their Reception year). There is no longer an ‘exceeding’ judgement, your child will either be ‘emerging’ or ‘expected’

Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through the seven areas of learning and development. The seven curriculum areas are interconnected.

Children mostly develop the 3 prime areas first. These are:

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development

As your child grows, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in the four specific areas. These are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

These areas of learning are underpinned by the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning. These outline how your child will learn. These are important skills that will support their future learning and life skills, inside and outside of school.  

• 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

We are committed to underpinning our provision with the 'Seven Key Features of Effective Practice'