What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s early experiences have a major impact on their future life chances.

When parents choose to use early years services they want to know the provision will keep their child safe and help them to thrive.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is the framework that provides that assurance.  Promoting teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and a broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundations for good future progress through school and life.

The EYFS at St Mary's seeks to provide:

• Quality and consistency so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind.
• A secure foundation through learning and development opportunities which are planned around the needs and interests of each individual child and assessed and reviewed regularly.
• Partnership working between practitioners and parents/carers.
• Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported.

Children are welcome to join us part time (F1), at the start of the term after their third birthday or attend full time (F2) at the start of the school year in which they have their fifth birthday.

St Mary's creates a welcoming, safe and stimulating environment where children are able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence. Through guided play, hands on experiences and adult led inputs, children become motivated, independent learners, who are keen to experience the different areas of learning the EYFS has to offer.

There are seven areas of learning and development that shape our early years educational programme-

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.  The three prime areas in bold are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, building their capacity to learn and form relationships in order to thrive.

At St Mary's we consider the individual needs, interests and stage of development of every child in our care.  We plan challenging and enjoyable experiences in all of the areas of learning and development.
 
Each area of learning and development is implemented through, planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult led and child initiated activity.  Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems and relate to others.  Children learn by leading their own play, and taking part in play, which is guided by adults.  Practitioners respond to each child’s emerging needs and interest, guiding their development through warm, positive interaction.
 
Our planning and assessment is further guided and enhanced by the ‘Development Matters’ Framework, please follow the link below for further information.
 

A child can access the 15hours funded nursery provision in the term after their 3rd birthday