What is EYFS?

The Early Years Curriculum

In Reception, we continue your child’s learning journing through the government’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework. We use this when planning how and what your child will be learning to support their healthy development. Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through seven areas of learning and development (three prime areas and four specific areas).

The aim is for children to develop the three prime areas, first. These are:

• Communication and language

• Physical development

• Personal, social and emotional development

These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.

As children progress, work will be planned to develop skills in four specific areas. These are:

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the world

• Expressive arts and design

These seven areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. We will make sure that the activities planned are suited to your child’s individual needs. This is a little bit like the curriculum set out further up the school, but it is suitable for very young children, and it is designed to be flexible so that staff can follow your child's needs and interests.

Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking (these are known as the Characteristics of Effective Learning). Learning takes place both indoors and outside (we have an outdoor classroom at one end of the school building and visit our Forest School site at Millthorpe Secondary School on a weekly basis).

At the end of Reception Year, you will receive a report commenting on the Characteristics of Effective Learning for your child and whether your child is working toward the Early Learning Goals, has met them or has exceeded them.

Please find below two documents detailing the Characteristics of Effective Learning and the Early Learning Goals.