EYFS

Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at our school, including both our Nursery and Reception. We have a passion for providing children with the best possible start to their education, ensuring a seamless journey from their first day in Nursery through to the end of their Reception year.

We believe that a happy, secure, and stimulating environment is the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. Our setting is specifically designed to promote awe, wonder, and curiosity, nurturing each child's natural desire to explore. This approach directly develops children's independence and resilience, giving them the confidence to take risks and persist in their learning.

We want our children to love coming to school, form effective relationships, feel safe, and make good progress. Everything we believe as a school starts here in the Early Years. We bring this to life by using the best teaching methods for young children. This means we carefully balance time spent learning with a teacher alongside purposeful play, where children can lead their own discovery and learn by doing.

We are guided by the EYFS statutory framework that sets high standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to age five. We focus on creating a happy, active, and secure environment where every child is valued as a unique child.

We are guided by four key principles:

• A Unique Child: Every child is a capable and resilient learner who develops at their own pace.

• Positive Relationships: We foster strong partnerships between staff and parents to help children feel safe and independent.

• Enabling Environments: We provide stimulating indoor and outdoor spaces that respond to individual interests.

• Learning and Development: We recognise that children learn in different ways and at different rates.

The curriculum

The curriculum is built around seven interconnected areas of learning, delivered primarily through purposeful play and active exploration.

Prime Areas (The Essentials):

• Communication and Language: Developing confidence in speaking, listening, and vocabulary.

• Physical Development: Improving coordination, control, and movement.

• Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: Helping children manage feelings and form positive relationships. 

Specific Areas (Building Knowledge):

• Literacy: Encouraging a love for reading and early writing skills.

• Mathematics: Developing a strong grounding in numbers and patterns.

• Understanding the World: Exploring the physical world and different communities.

• Expressive Arts and Design: Nurturing creativity through art, music, and dance.

How We Learn: The Characteristics of Effective Learning

We don’t just teach children what to learn; we teach them how to learn. We focus on three key areas that help children become lifelong learners:

• Playing and Exploring: Children are encouraged to ‘have a go’ and explore new things. This builds their curiosity and helps them find out about the world around them.

• Active Learning: We help children develop resilience. This means they learn to keep trying if they find something tricky and enjoy the feeling of finishing a task.

• Creating and Thinking Critically: Children are encouraged to have their own ideas and find their own ways of doing things. This develops their independence and problem-solving skills.