The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
The EYFS framework forms the backbone of the Early Years curriculum at Prospect Hill Infant and Nursery School. There are four important principles that underpin practise at Prospect Hill-
- A unique child - Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
- Positive relationships - Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
- Enabling environments - Children learn well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents/carers.
- Learning and development - Children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years settings, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Within this there are seven areas of learning and these shapes the educational programme in our early years setting. All areas are interconnected but there are three areas that are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, for building children’s capacity for learning and to help them form relationships and thrive.
The 3 prime areas are:
- Communication and Language development - giving children opportunities to speak and listen in a range of situations and to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves.
- Physical development - providing opportunities for young children to be active and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy food choices.
- Personal, Social and Emotional development - helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities
- Literacy development – encouraging children to read and write, both through listening to others reading and beginning to read and write themselves. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials – books, poems, and other written materials, to ignite their interest.
- Mathematics – providing children with opportunities to practise and improve their skills in counting, calculating simple additions and subtractions, and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
- Understanding the World – guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
- Expressive Arts and Design - involves supporting children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
An updated EYFS Framework came into effect on 1st September 2021.