Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage is for children beginning in Nursery at the age of 3 until leaving Reception at the age of 5.

There are seven areas of learning:

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

All children within the Early Years Foundation Stage work towards attaining the Early Learning Goals (ELG) associated with these areas of learning. At the end of their year in EYFS, children are assessed to see if they have  made a 'Good Level of Development'. This means that they have achieved the Early Learning Goal in Communication & Language, Personal, Social & Emotional Development, Physical Development, Literacy and Numeracy. 

At St George's CE Primary School, we plan purposeful activities and experiences with a balance of child-initiated and adult led activities. Play underpins all development and learning for young children and play, both indoors and outdoors, will enable your child to develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally. Children are assessed, through observation, on entry to school and during the Reception year. We also complete the Government's Baseline Assessment within the first six weeks of the Autumn Term.

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One of the most important areas of the EYFS curriculum is the 'Characteristics of Effective Learning'. This shows how a child is learning.

These include:-

• Playing and exploring- finding out and exploring. - playing with what they know  - being willing to 'have a go'.
• Active learning- being involved and concentrating - keep on trying -enjoying achieving what they set out to do.
• Creating and critical thinking - having their own ideas - making links in learning - choosing ways to do things.

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Here are a few of the things that we learn in EYFS- please note that these are END OF YEAR EXPECTATIONS, and we are working towards them throughout the year.....

Communication and Language (CLL)

This is a vital  part of the curriculum. It enables children to communicate their ideas and feelings with their peers and adults as well as being able to show what they know and have learnt.

•  Listening and attention- can your child listen attentively? Do they enjoy listening to stories, rhymes and songs? Do they listen to other children?
•  Speaking- can your child express themselves effectively? Can they use past, present and future tenses? Can they connect ideas and thoughts?

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Physical Development (PD)

This includes both fine and gross motor skills as well as self- help skills.

• Gross Motor Skills- does your child have good control and coordination? This is in both small and large movements. Do they move confidently?
• Fine Motor Skills- Can they use tools such as pencils for writing? Can they use scissors ?

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Personal, Social and Emotional Education. 

This is a child's confidence and understanding of emotions.

• Managing Self- is your child confident to try new activities? Are they confident when speaking in familiar groups? Are they able to ask for help? Does your child know the importance of a good diet and exercise in keeping healthy? Are they able to manage their own personal hygiene (toileting and washing hands)?
•  Self- regulation- can your child talk about  how they show their feelings? Do they know that some behaviour is unacceptable, and may have consequences? Can they work as part of a group or class? Are they able to adjust their behaviour and cope with changes of routine?
• Building  relationships- Is your child able to play co-operatively, taking turns and sharing? Are they able to take into account others' ideas? Are they sensitive to the feelings of others? 

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Literacy

• Comprehension your child will be able to  retell stories that they have heard , using any new words that they have learnt. They will be bale to talk about stories that  they have read and heard.
• Word reading- Can your child say the sound for each letter of the alphabet? Is your child  able to read and understand simple sentences. They will use their phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud.
• Writing- your child will write recognisable letters, correctly formed. They will write sentences which they can read and which can be read by others. They will be able to spell some words correctly and to use phonics to spell other words. 

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Mathematics

• Number- your child will have a deep understanding of the number 10. They will be able to subitise quantities to 5 (recognise quantities without counting the set) They will know number bonds to 5 and some to 10.
• Numerical patterns they will be able to count verbally beyond 20. They will be able to compare quantities to 10 , saying 1 more and 1 less than a number. They will be able to represent double numbers and share equally.

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Understanding the World 

•  Past and Present- Can your child talk about the past and present? Can they talk about their own lives and the lives of others and know some differences and similarities between past and present?
• The Natural World  - Your child will explore the natural world around them, making observations. They will know the differences and similarities between different environments. They will know about   seasons. 
•  People, Culture and Communities. can your child talk about differences and similarities between places, including other countries? Are they able to talk about their environment and how places vary from one another? 
• Religious Education. (RE) Children will encounter Christianity and other faiths, as part of their growing sense of self, their own community and their place within it.

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Expressive Arts and Design

• Creating with Materials. Children will explore and use a range of materials. They will experiment with colour, design and texture. They will talk about their creations. They will make up their own stories and props in their play.
• Being imaginative and expressive. Children will invent, adapt and recount stories. They will sing a range of songs and rhymes. They will perform songs, stories and rhymes. They will dance to music.  

The EYFS curriculum will be explained to you in more detail throughout the year, when you are invited to attend our Open Afternoons. 

Here is our current Long Term Plan......