Our Approach to Learning

We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework for children who attend our Nursery and Reception. This is a statutory framework that sets out the standards that all Early Years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.

Schools and early years settings have to follow a structure of learning, development and care for children from birth to five years old. This is called the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and it enables your child to learn through a range of activities. The statutory framework for Early Years Foundation Stage was introduced in 2008. Following a Government consultation, a revised version of the EYFS has been launched from September 2021.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is how the Government and early years professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and age 5. This is a hugely important stage as it helps your child get ready for the transition to school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes. From when your child is born up until the age of 5, their early years experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure; and support their development, care and learning needs.

All nurseries, pre-schools, reception classes and childminders registered to deliver the EYFS must follow and adhere to a legal document called the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. This exists to support all professionals working in the EYFS to help your child, and was developed with a number of early years experts and parents.

In 2021 the framework was revised to make it clearer and easier to use, with more focus on the things that matter most, which include: language and vocabulary development, comprehension and understanding, and physical development, whilst maintaining its focus on personal development and the whole child. This new framework also has a greater emphasis on your role in helping your child develop.

Key Information

The Early Years Foundation Stage ensures:

  • Quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind;
  • A secure foundation through planning for the learning and development of each individual child, and assessing and reviewing what they have learned regularly;
  • Children learn through play;
  • Providers work closely with parents;
  • You are kept up to date on your child’s progress;
  • The welfare, learning and all-round development of children with different backgrounds and levels of ability, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

The EYFS learning and development identifies seven areas of learning and development. These are divided into three prime areas:

  • Communication and language
  • Physical development
  • Personal, social and emotional development

With four specific areas:

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the world
  • Expressive arts and design

Learning is structured around the ‘characteristics of learning’. This means that children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active and through creative and critical thinking, which takes place both indoors and outside.

Parents, carers or guardians should be involved in the assessment process on a regular, ongoing basis and be encouraged to participate in their child’s early learning and development. We do this by providing parents with access to Tapestry, the online Learning Journal used in school.
 

Tapestry:

At Queensway we use the learning journal Tapestry. This allows teachers to upload pictures and evidence of our pupils amazing learning, and it allows for communication with parents and to help everyone keep right up to date with our children's progress.

 

Celebrating our EYFS

                                                                       

 Nursery - Oak class           Reception - Ash Class            Reception - Elm Class

 

EYFS PolicyEYCF Curriculum IntentNursery Long Term Plan 2022-2023

Reception Long Term Plan 2022-2023Nursery Medium Term Plan 2022

Reception Medium Term Plan 2022