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The EYFS

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?
Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is how the Government and early years professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and age 5. This is a very important stage as it helps your child get ready for school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes. From when your child is born up until the age of 5, their early years experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure; and support their development, care and learning needs. Nurseries, pre-schools, reception classes and childminders registered to deliver the EYFS must follow a legal document called the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.

What is the EYFS Framework – why do we have one?
The EYFS Framework exists to support all professionals working in the EYFS to help your child, and was developed with a number of early years experts and parents. In 2021 the government published the revised Early Years Foundation Stage Framework which sets out every early years providers statutory responsibilities; these are the things we must provide for every child.

The EYFS states that four guiding principles should shape practice in early years settings. These are:

  1. Every child is a unique child, who is consistently learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
  2. Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
  3. Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults who respond to their indvidual eeds and help them build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
  4. The importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates.

 

The EYFS sets out the areas of learning which must shape our curriculum. They are:

The Prime Areas

  • Communication and Language
  • Personal, social and emotional development
  • Physical development

The Specific Areas

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design

 

If you would like to find out more about the EYFS framework, click the button below

Headteacher: Catherine Tasker
Address: Whitegate Nursery School & Early Years Care, Victoria Road, Padiham, Lancashire, BB12 8TG
Telephone: 01282 772283
Email: office@whitegate.lancs.sch.uk