Early Years Foundation Stage
Through purposeful play our children explore and develop learning experiences, which help them make sense of the world. They practise and build up ideas, and learn how to control themselves and understand the need for rules. They have the opportunity to think creatively alongside other children. They communicate with others as they investigate and solve problems. Through this they learn to respect ideas of others and begin to develop tolerance.
There are seven areas of learning and development:
The Prime Areas of
- Communication and Language
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
continue to be fundamental throughout the EYFS and are important for building a capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.
The four Specific Areas of
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
None of these areas can be delivered in isolation from the others. They are equally important and depend upon each other. In each area there are Early Learning Goals (ELGs) that define the expectations for children to reach by the end of the EYFS.
The Reception learning environment is organised to provide a rich and varied curriculum to support children’s learning and development across the seven areas of learning. It aims to give them the confidence to explore and learn, securely and safely, indoors and outdoors. The environment is set up in learning areas, where children are encouraged to locate and use resources independently. The Reception class has its own enclosed outdoor area. Being outdoors offers opportunities for doing things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors and can have a positive effect on children’s development. It offers the children further opportunities to explore, use their senses, be physically active and exuberant. There are areas, indoors and outdoors, where the children can be active, or be quiet and rest. Learning takes place through a balance of planned adult led, adult supported, independent and child initiated activities.
