The Early Years Curriculum

Our curriculum is called the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). It provides a framework covering the period from birth through to the end of Reception. Four key strands underpin the EYFS:


1. The Unique Child: ‘Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured’ (EYFS Practice Guidance p5).
Within the framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, the planned learning and teaching is based on our observations of the children’s interests, preoccupations and needs.


2. Positive Relationships: ‘Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person’ (EYFS Practice Guidance p5).
The ‘getting to know you’ theme that we start the year with in September reflects the importance we place on developing genuine and respectful relationships with the children and their families. Your child will be allocated a key person who will keep a record of your child’s engagement and progress. Learning priorities are planned for each child and discussed at termly parent meetings.


3. Enabling Environments: ‘The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning’ (EYFS Practice Guidance p5).
We have well resourced indoor and outdoor learning environments. The children are encouraged to explore these independently and develop their skills and interests with support from experienced practitioners working alongside them to develop their play and exploration.
Real events provide a rich and meaningful context for developing the children’s skills, understanding and thinking – e.g. in the autumn term we provide curriculum opportunities relating to the exciting seasonal changes at this time of the year.


4. Learning and Development: ‘Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and interconnected’ (EYFS Practice Guidance p5).
We provide a play-based curriculum that encourages opportunities for active exploration across all the six interconnected areas of learning and development.


Personal, Social and Emotional Development - Communication, Language and Literacy Development - Physical Development - Knowledge and Understanding of the World - Creative Development - Mathematical Development What we plan is based on our observations of the children’s interests, preoccupations and needs, and this will vary from term to term, and week to week.