EYFS - Early Years Foundation Stage

Our Early Years Provision

At Bretherton Endowed C of E Primary School our key aim is to continue and extend the education which has begun at home and in pre-school provision to enable every child to develop an enthusiasm for learning throughout his/her lifetime. 

Intent for the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum

It is our intention at Bretherton Endowed C of E Primary School that children in the Early Years Foundation Stage feel happy, safe and secure. All children are valued as individuals. We aim to deliver a curriculum that provides memorable experiences and firm foundations for learning to enable every child to thrive. We endeavour to give children the Cultural Capital they need for the future by giving them the best start in life to enable them to fulfil their full potential  and achieve future success. 

To ensure the best outcomes for our children we offer a broad curriculum with a balance of adult led and child initiated activities. We provide a stimulating environment and exciting opportunities both indoors and outdoors to promote curiosity, problem solving and imagination. Our children are encouraged to be confident, resilient and independent. 

We continually promote and develop social, personal and emotional skills to enable children to play and learn together. Throughout the curriculum language and communication skills are a key focus as we recognise these are crucial in children’s development, learning and progress.

To enable every child to thrive at Bretherton Endowed C of E Primary School we recognise the importance of forming positive relationships between children, staff and parents.

Early Years Foundation Stage: September 2021

The government has released new guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage for September 2021. Our school will be following the new Early Learning Goals for planning and assessment.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum

The framework sets out the seven areas of learning and development.

The three prime areas of learning that underpin everything in the early years are:

• communication and language
• physical development
• personal, social and emotional development

The four specific areas of learning which help children to strengthen and apply the prime areas are:

• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding the world
• expressive arts and design

All of these seven areas are connected together. In addition there are three characteristics of effective teaching and learning which weave through all the areas. These are:

• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things
• active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
• creating and thinking critically , make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things– children develop their own ideas

In planning and guiding what children learn we incorporate the seven areas of learning, take into account the different rates at which children develop and provide the opportunities to encourage the three characteristics of learning.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile

The EYFS profile is a statutory assessment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It is comprises of an assessment of the child’s attainment in relation to the seventeen Early Learning Goal descriptors from the seven areas of learning:

• Communication and Language 

Listening, Attention and Understanding

Speaking

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development 

Self–Regulation

Managing Self

Building Relationships

• Physical Development

Gross Motor Skills

Fine Motor Skills

• Literacy 

Comprehension

 Word Reading

Writing

• Mathematics 

Number

Numerical Patterns

• Understanding the World 

Past and Present

People, Culture and Communities

The Natural World

• Expressive Arts and Design

Creating with Materials

Being Imaginative and Expressive

     We use our professional judgement to make these assessments based on the knowledge and understanding of what the child knows, understands and can do. These assessments are informal and based on day to day observations of the child.  In addition, comments are added to describe how a child demonstrates the three characteristics of effective learning. The main purpose of this profile is to support a successful transition to Key Stage 1. It is also used to inform parents about their child’s development. Children are defined as having reached a Good Level of Development at the end of the EYFS if they have achieved at least the expected level for the Early Learning Goals in the three prime areas of learning and the specific areas of literacy and mathematics.    

Key Action points for 2023-2024

• To continue to develop high quality learning environment particularly focussing on the outdoors. 
• To review, plan and restructure the Outdoor Learning Area . EYFS Team to look at our current children’s needs and interests and design an Outdoor Area for the woodland area.
• Staff training to ensure the effective use of Evidence Me for assessment of attainment and to inform future planning. 
• To continue to develop parents as partners 
• All EYFS staff members need to become confident with the new framework and know how to support children and move them forward with their learning 
• To audit staff expertise in EYFS and to provide staff training to further develop subject knowledge. 

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