Early Years
Children in our Nursery and Reception Classes follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework.
The Early Years is based on four principles:
- A unique child – developing resilient, capable, confident and self-assured individuals.
- Positive relationships – supporting the children in becoming strong and independent.
- Enabling environments – where opportunities and experiences are created in response to the individual needs of the child by developing a strong partnership between practitioners, parents/carers and the child.
- Learning and developing – An acknowledgement that children learn in different ways and at different rates.
As part of our practice, we:
- Provide a balanced curriculum, based on the EYFS, across the seven areas of learning, using play as the vehicle for learning.
- Promote equality of opportunity. We provide early intervention for those children who require additional support.
- Work in partnership with parents.
- Plan challenging learning experiences, based on the individual child, informed by observation and assessment.
- Provide opportunities for children to engage in activities that are both child-initiated and adult-led.
- Provide a secure and safe learning environment indoors and out.
We plan an exciting and challenging curriculum based on our observation of children’s needs, interests, and stages of development across the seven areas of learning in order to enable the children to achieve and exceed the Early Learning Goals.
All seven areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.
Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.
These three areas are the prime areas:
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children are also supported through the four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design
Religious Education is taught in the Foundation Stage Classes as outlined in ‘God Matters’. (See RE Policy)
Planning and activities will take into account the different ways that children learn. We support and encourage children in using the characteristics of effective learning.
These are:
- playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;
- active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying when they encounter difficulties. They enjoy achievements;
- creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things.
(Taken from statutory framework for the EYFS 2023)
Practitioners working with the youngest children in Nursery will focus strongly on the three prime areas, which are the basis for successful learning in the other four specific areas. The three prime areas reflect the key skills that all children need to develop and learn effectively and become ready for school. The balance will shift towards a more equal focus on all areas of learning as the children move through the Early Years and grow in confidence and ability within the three prime areas.