Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) applies to the learning and development of children from birth to the end of the Reception year. At Hermitage we greatly value the Early Years in laying the foundations for future learning and development. Learning in the Early Years gives children the opportunities to explore, investigate, discover, create, practice, rehearse, repeat, revise and consolidate building on what children already know.
The curriculum in the Early Years underpins all future learning by supporting, fostering, promoting and developing children's Charateristics of Effective Learning:
- Encouraging children to play and explore - be willing to have a go and take a risk, to show curiosity and to seek challenges
- To develop children as active learners -to show a high level of fascination, to persist with a challenge and be proud of what they can do
- To be creative and critical thinkers - to think of ideas and how to solve problems and to make predictions and links
The Early Years education we provide for our children is based on the following themes from the Statutory Framework for Ealy Years Foundation Stage 2021 (see document below):
- That each child is unique
- The importance of positive relationships
- The importance of learning in an enabling environment
- That children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates
We plan an exciting and challenging curriculum based on our knowledge of each child.
The Early Years Curriculum has:
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
In each of these areas children work in age related developmental phases (Birth-3years, 3-4years, in Reception). A range of activities are planned using a theme which is based on the children's interests and the children take part in the planning and reviewing process.
Assessment:
The statutory Reception Baseline Assessment is completed within each child's first 4-6 weeks in school. We will alo complete the school's own baseline tasks which focus on Letters and Sounds, Number, pencil grip and control and children's general readiness and their next steps in learning.
Each child will be monitored on an ongoing basis, from their baseline, and their progress recorded in December, March and June. At the end of the year the children will be assessed as to whether they have attained the Early Learning Goals - the criteria in each of the following aspects of learning:
Listening, Attention and Understanding, Speaking, Self-Reguation, Managing Self, Building Relationships, Gross Motor Skills, Fine Motor Skills, ComprehensionWord Reading, Writing, Number, Numerical Patterns, Past and Present, People, Cultures and Communities, The Natural World, Creating with Materials and Being Imaginative and Expressive.
The Learning Environment
Within our setting children can access a wide range of activities both indoors and outdoors. The environment is organised so children can freely access resources to develop independence and responsiibility both indoors and outdoors. There is a balance of adult-led and self chosen/child- initiated activities.
For further detailed information related to planning and delivery of the Early Years Curriculum please visit the Reception Class page
