E.Y.F.S. explained

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework is mandatory for all early years providers maintained schools, non-maintained schools, independent schools, and all providers on the Early Years Register. This includes Childminders.
We are totally dedicated to the EYFS and will work with parents and other childcare providers to ensure that all the children in our setting get the best possible start in life.
Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.
The EYFS Statutory Framework 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 children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has four main principles; these are grouped into four themes:
1. A unique child. – Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
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.
3. Enabling Environments – The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.
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 inter-connected.
The framework is made up of seven areas of learning and development, these are:
Prime Areas
1. Personal, Social and Emotional development - involves 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.
2. Communication and language - development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
3. Physical development - involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices In relation to food.
Specific Areas
4. Understanding the world - involves 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.
5. Literacy - development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
6. Mathematics - involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
7. Expressive arts and design - involves enabling 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.
Click Here for the full Statutory Framework for the early years foundation stage
We are totally dedicated to the EYFS and will work with parents and other childcare providers to ensure that all the children in our setting get the best possible start in life.
Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.
The EYFS Statutory Framework 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 children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has four main principles; these are grouped into four themes:
1. A unique child. – Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
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.
3. Enabling Environments – The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.
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 inter-connected.
The framework is made up of seven areas of learning and development, these are:
Prime Areas
1. Personal, Social and Emotional development - involves 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.
2. Communication and language - development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
3. Physical development - involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices In relation to food.
Specific Areas
4. Understanding the world - involves 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.
5. Literacy - development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
6. Mathematics - involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
7. Expressive arts and design - involves enabling 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.
Click Here for the full Statutory Framework for the early years foundation stage