Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)?

The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework sets standards to enable early years providers to reflect the rich and personalised experience that many parents give their children at home. Staff deliver individualised learning and care that enhances the development of the children in their care and gives the children the best possible start in life. Every child is supported individually to make progress at their own pace and children who need extra support to fulfil their potential receive special consideration.

The EYFS principles which guide the work of all practitioners are grouped into four distinct but complementary themes:

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development

In regards to each child's learning and development and how they go about this in the Early Years, the EYFS curriculum sets out the Characteristics of Effective Learning into the three categories:

• Playing and Exploring
• Active Learning
• Creating and Thinking Critically

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum is made up of seven areas of learning; 3 prime areas and 4 specifics.

The prime areas of learning are:

- Communication and Language

- Physical Development

- Personal, Social and Emotional Development

The 4 specific areas of learning are:

- Literacy

- Mathematics

- Understanding of the World

- Expressive Arts and Design

Early Years Foundation Stage at Thorpe Lea Primary

At Thorpe Lea, we are lucky enough to have a nursery and Reception class. Children can now join our Nursery at the age of two.

Half termly topics and themed weeks are used in both our Early Years classes as a creative vehicle in delivering the EYFS curriculum. As we are working towards an 'Early Years Unit', all Early Years classes will focus on the same topic, allowing for topic-based, collaborative learning in our shared outdoor environment.

Both our Nursery and Reception classrooms have been designed and organised to promote positive, engaging environments for the children to learn in. Both classes have designated areas of learning to support different areas of the EYFS curriculum. At Thorpe Lea Nursery and Primary school, we believe in the importance of outdoor learning and use our newly refurbished outdoor area every day for our continuous provision and for adult-directed activities.

At the heart of good EYFS practice is on-going observation and assessment, enabling our staff to plan effectively for each child’s next steps for learning. At Thorpe Lea Primary this is incorporated in several aspects of our practice:

• Electronic Observations
• Parental Observations that can be emailed to the teacher.
• Focused assessment notes
• Individual Profiles
• Proud Clouds

As a school, we continually seek open an active two-way communication with parents. Below are some examples of how endeavour to achieve this within the Early Years:

• Newsletters
• Daily opportunities for informal chats with staff
• Reports once annually
• Parent’s evenings
• Meet the teacher sessions
• Stay and Play sessions
• Electronic observations for both parents and teachers.
• Proud Clouds
• Class noticeboards
• Regularly updated class pages

For more information on our Early Years and Nursery - follow the link below to our dedicated Early Years section.