Early Years

Legal Framework

Children entering Nursery begin a curriculum called the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This curriculum begins from birth up the age of 5 years i.e. until the end of the Reception Year. The EYFS sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well, and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives them the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

 

Each nursery is free to decide upon how to deliver the EYFS curriculum. We have chosen to use the EYFS non statutory guidance Development Matters to shape our provision. 

EYFS Statutory Framework - September 2023

Development Matters

Intent

The EYFS curriculum is organised into seven areas of learning and development which are divided into:

The three prime areas:

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

These three areas of learning are fundamental, the foundation for other learning.

The four specific areas:

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

You will hear your child’s teacher talk about these different areas of learning along with the so called Characteristics of Effective Learning. These are the crucial characteristics which children need in order to learn and ones that we are focused upon encouraging and promoting in everything we do. They include being involved and concentrating, being motivated - to keep trying, enjoying and achieving what they set out to do, being willing to 'have a go’.

  

Our ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’

• Playing and Exploring
• Active Learning
• Creative and Critical Thinking

 

Our EYFS curriculum is interactive, engaging and practical, which seamlessly follows on from previous Nursery learning and throughout the whole year elements of the Year 1 National curriculum are woven into the 7 areas of our EYFS curriculum to ensure we are Year 1 ready later in the year!

 

Our exciting projects in Reception…

We use elements of the Cornerstones Curriculum supported by continuous provision and enhancements to play opportunities.

Autumn (1) Me and My Community & Exploring Autumn

Autumn (2) Me and My Community & Exploring Autumn

Spring (1) Starry Night & Winter Wonderland

Spring (2) Ready Steady Grow! & Signs of Spring

Summer (1) Ready Steady Grow! & Signs of Spring

Summer (2) Once Upon a Time & Sparkle and Shine

 

You can view our curriculum maps to see what we learn and when we learn it:

EYFS - Knowledge and Skills Progression - Three Prime Areas of Learning

EYFS - Curriculum Map: Maths

EYFS - Curriculum Map: Phonics

EYFS - Curriculum Links to Development Matters and Early Learning Goals

 

Recording our Learning 

In our Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) children's learning is evidenced through their Tapestry Online Learning Journal. Parents are able to access this through https://tapestryjournal.com/ or by downloading the Tapestry app. 

Once observations are approved by our teachers, Tapestry allows us to instantly share with parents/carers what the children have been learning in our setting. Parents/carers can view these observations and have the opportunity to add comments. We encourage parents/carers to share these Learning Journals with children at home as a point for discussion and to support links between home and school. 

We highly value parental contributions to children’s Learning Journals. While we continually observe children in our setting there are many valuable achievements that happen at home too. By providing contributions from home, parents/carers are helping to give a greater understanding of their child’s stage of development.  The evidence we have from home and at school contribute to assessing a child's EYFS Profile; a statutory requirement that will be reported at the end of the Reception year. If you are ever unsure about what would be a valuable contribution please do speak to our Nursery and Reception staff.  Contributions are shared with children in school and we find that they love talking to us about photographs of themselves at home!