Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the beginning and most important stage of school life. It covers the development of children from the age of three to the end of the Reception year. Children learn to adapt from the home environment to the new and challenging experiences of school. They meet new people and learn to work together, to share, to co-operate and to solve problems. The EYFS principles which guide the work of all practitioners are grouped into four distinct but complementary themes:
- A unique child
- Positive relationships
- Enabling environments
- Learning and development
The EYFS curriculum underpins all future learning by promoting and developing through the following seven EYFS educational programmes:
3 prime areas:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal social and emotional development
4 specific areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
We follow the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning. These are:
- Playing and exploring
- Active learning
- Creating and thinking critically
Assessment
On-going assessment is an integral part of the learning and development process. It involves adults knowing children's level of achievement and interest, and then shaping teaching and learning experiences for each child reflecting that knowledge. Our assessment does not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children. We draw on our knowledge of the child and our own expert professional judgement.
If a child's progress gives calls for concern we discuss this with the child's parents/carers and agree how to support the child.
The Reception baseline assessment is a short assessment taken in the first six weeks in which the child starts reception.
The EYFS profile is completed in the final term of Reception. This profile provides parents and carers and teachers with a well-rounded picture of a child's knowledge, understanding and abilities, their attainment against expected levels, and their readiness for Year 1.
Dough disco involves moulding play dough in time to music and performing different actions such as rolling it into a ball, flattening it, putting each individual finger into the dough, rolling it into a sausage and squeezing it.
Squiggle Early Learning Programme
In EYFS we develop our writing skills through a range of strategies including the Spread the Happiness Squiggle Early Learning Programme. This enables the children to develop the physical skills needed for early writing as well as having lots of fun.
What stages are there in the Squiggle Early Learning Programme?
- Wiggle me into a Squiggler is the first stage and is designed for the early stages of mark making and physical development used in writing.
- Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle is the next stage in early years child development and moves on to more advanced mark making and letter formation
- Squiggle me into a Writer is the final stage in our Squiggle Programme taking the child through cursive mark making and letter formation.