The Early Years Foundation Stage
Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to fulfil their full potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure safe happy childhood is important in its’ own right, and it provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. When parents choose to use early years services they want to know the provision will keep their children safe and help them to thrive. The Early Years Foundation Stage is the framework that provides that assurance as stated in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
The provision for children’s development and learning is guided by the EYFS which applies to children from birth to the end of reception year. (DFES)
Active learning occurs when children are motivated and interested. Children need to have some independence and control over their learning. They need to develop their confidence in order to make decisions and in doing so achieve a sense of satisfaction, creativity and critical thinking.
The EYFS is made up of six areas of learning:
Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication, Language and Literacy, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy, Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Physical Development and Creative Development.
For each area the Practice Guidance sets out the Early Learning Goals. These goals state the experiences and skills children may achieve by the end of the Reception Year of their education.
The EYFS is based around four themes each with four commitments:
A Unique Child - every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
Commitments - Child development, inclusive practice, keeping safe and health and well-being.
Positive Relationships - children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
Commitments – Respecting each other, parents as partners, supporting learning and key person.
Enabling Environments - the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning.
Commitments – Observation, assessment and planning, supporting every child, the learning environment and the wider context.
Learning and Development - the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning.
Commitments – Play and exploration, active learning, creativity and critical thinking and areas of learning and development.
The information pack can be downloaded from www.everychildmatters.gov.uk