EYFS

The Early Years Foundation Stage

Our team work to a programme within the guidelines of the Early Years Foundation Framework (EYFS), we recognize that the first few years of a child’s life are the most formative, in terms of intellectual, social, creative, emotional and physical growth. Our aim is to provide an environment that nurtures these important years. We recognise that children learn in different ways and at different rates and plan for this accordingly.

Our aim is to support all children attending the setting to attain their maximum potential within their individual capabilities. As all children are individuals they will develop these areas at different rates depending on their age and stage of development. Our staff fully understands this and takes this into account when planning activities (sample planning examples are available to view on site) and experiences within and outside of the nursery, supporting and guiding the children.

Our team work to a programme within the guidelines of the Early Years Foundations Stage Framework (EYFS).

This framework guides children from birth to the end of their first year in Reception. Where applicable we work in partnership with other schools or agencies to ensure children’s learning is supported consistently.

The framework is made up of four themed principles:

Theme	Principle
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 and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners , parents and carers.
Learning and development	Children develop and learn in different ways. The development framework covers the education and care of all children in our care in their early years, including children with special e educational needs and disabilities.

Each child is allocated a key person who will be the family’s main point of contact with us. The key person is the principle individual who will monitor your child’s progress by observing him/her playing and interacting with our qualified team and peers. We will regularly discuss your child’s development with you. We maintain a personalized record of every child’s development, showing their abilities, progress, interests and areas needing further staff or parental assistance.

The care and education we provide all children in our care is underpinned by the “Every Child Matters”paper and the “Childcare Act 2006”

Areas of learning

To ensure we meet the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework the children in our care are supported in 7 main areas of learning, with focus in the very early years being on the 3 prime areas of learning.

PRIME AREAS:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

This areas includes: making relationships, self-confidence and self-awareness, and managing feelings and behaviour. Our children are provided with experiences that guide and support them to develop all of these.

Physical Development

This areas includes: Moving and handling, and health and self-care. Physical growth is faster in the early years than at any other point in life. And, with it comes the need to support children in learning about their body, helping them to improve co-ordination and overall physical ability, and to understand the importance of making healthy choices that affect physical well-being. External companies also assist in this area e.g. “Kids R Fit”.

Communication and Language

This area includes: Listening and attention, understanding, and speaking. Our children are cared for in an environment where they are encouraged to communicate with those around them, both speaking and listening. Lots of story time encourages them not only to relish the joys that books can offer but also to begin the early stages of reading.

SPECIFIC AREAS:

Literacy

This area includes: Reading an writing

Mathematics

This areas includes: Numbers, and shape, space and measure.

Understanding the World

This area includes: People and communities, the world, and technology. Our children experience different situations and environments. Outings such as a trip to the farm or the aquarium, help support the curriculum themes. Just as importantly, experts in their own field (e.g. language school “Club Español”, animal school “Zoo Lab”) are invited into the nursery.

Expressive Arts and Design

This area includes: Exploring and using media and materials, and being imaginative. Children by nature are curious.

After all, so much is new to them. We actively encourage children to explore and “play” with and in their environment. We provide music and dance sessions, art and messy play, plenty of role-play opportunities that extend their imagination, and encourage them to express their creative personalities.