In our Nursery and Reception classes, children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This is a framework we use to help guide teaching and development. The early years of a child’s life are extremely important as they lay the foundation for learning in school and beyond.
The EYFS framework helps us plan how and what your child will learn to support their development, helping them build skills and knowledge they need for the future.
Key Areas of Learning
In the EYFS, children develop skills, gain new knowledge, and show their understanding through seven areas of learning. These are broken down into Prime and Specific areas.
Prime Areas:
These Prime Areas are essential for healthy growth and learning. They are at the heart of our Early Years curriculum and support your child’s development.
Specific Areas: As children grow, these Prime Areas help them develop skills in the following Specific Areas:
We plan activities across all 7 areas to make sure each child’s learning is catered to their individual needs. Although this curriculum is similar to what children will learn later in school, it’s designed specifically for young children, offering flexibility to adapt to their interests and developmental stage.
We also follow additional guidance from Development Matters to support children’s progress.
Our children are happy, excited, and motivated to learn! They enjoy rich, challenging experiences that allow them to explore, take risks, and learn through hands-on activities. Every day, we offer chances for children to come together, share experiences, learn from each other, and most importantly—have fun!
We recognise that every child starts at different levels, and we plan based on where they are developmentally so that every child can thrive. Our goal is for children to be independent, resilient, and confident. By the time they move into Year 1, we want them to be ready for the National Curriculum.
Children learn by playing, exploring, being active, and thinking creatively and critically, both indoors and outdoors. We believe that children are born eager to learn and actively engage with others and the world around them.
We ensure continuity in learning by transferring records from Nursery or Pre-School, so we can build on what each child already knows.
We know that parents are children’s first teachers, and we highly value working together to support your child’s learning. There are many ways parents can get involved:
We believe that by sharing information with parents, we can work together to support each child’s development.
Throughout the year, we keep track of each child’s learning through regular assessments. These assessments help us understand where your child is in their learning and what support they may need.
At the end of Reception, teachers make a final assessment based on 17 Early Learning Goals. These goals help us see if your child has reached the expected level of development for their age. There are two possible assessments:
This final assessment is shared with parents in an annual report and passed on to Year 1 teachers to help with their planning for the next year.
Our curriculum is designed to build strong foundations for your child, ensuring they are well-prepared for the transition to Year 1 and beyond.