Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework

The EYFS Framework (2021) sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. Please take a look at the overview for curriculum below

Early Years Foundation Stage Long Term Overview

EYFS Curriculum Goals

St. Joseph’s Early Years Curriculum Links

Continuous Provision

Curriculum Intent: EYFS

At St. Joseph’s we believe that the Early Years Foundation Stage is crucial in securing solid foundations that children continue to build upon. Our children are bursting with awe and wonder, fun and joy. At St Joseph’s, we have an EYFS Unit which consists of Nursery and Reception.

We work closely with parents to get to know our families and encourage independent, happy learners who thrive in school to reach their full potential from their individual starting points.

Through a combination of teacher input and continuous provision opportunities, learning is planned to encourage children to develop their learning independently through exploration and challenge. Children’s interests are recognised and used to plan learning opportunities to support their development in line with the seven areas of learning.

Our learning environments, both inside and outside, are stimulating and exciting, and relevant to the needs and age range of our children.

Children have the opportunity to develop their social skills and form positive relationships with adults and peers. They are given a safe and nurturing environment where they can practise different skills.

Everything we do is underpinned by our core values of Respect, Friendship, Excellence and Care.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

The Characteristics of Effective Learning are the ways in which children learn.

Together, they underpin learning and development across all areas and support children to be effective and motivated learners.

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

Implementation

Our curriculum is shaped by the whole school vision of  getting to know our pupils well, enabling us to support and challenge them to be the best they can be. The core values of our school, respect, friendship, excellence and care are at the heart of everything we do and underpin daily life within EYFS.

The principles that guide the work in the EYFS are grouped into 4 themes: 

• A unique child
• Positive relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development

The EYFS Curriculum consists of the seven areas of Learning and Development. There are three prime and four specific areas. 

RE is incorporated into the area of Understanding the World, we follow the Come and See framework.

Vocabulary 

Here at St. Joseph’s, we provide a language rich environment that ensures children are exposed to a wide range of both spoken and written vocabulary. Children are supported to use ambitious vocabulary and understand this through discussion with teachers as part of communication and language development.

Aspirations For The Future

We provide the foundations so that our young learners are ready to thrive socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively in the next phase of their education in Key Stage 1 and for life- long learning.

The areas of learning from the EYFS curriculum dovetail into National Curriculum subjects and links are made to enable children to begin to develop an awareness of the learning and characteristics for each subject. This enable children to make connections in their learning and provides the foundation for vertical accumulation of knowledge, understanding and skills.

Impact 

Assessment

Children’s knowledge, skills and understanding are continually observed, celebrated and assessed to identify next steps. Our assessment systems enable teachers to make informed judgements about the depth of their learning and the progress they have made over time. This is reported to parents via the EYFS Profile at the end of the Reception year. Please see our Early Learning Goals document to find out what the children are expected to achieve by the end of the Foundation Stage.

Children in Reception also take part in The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA). This  is a short assessment, taken in the first six weeks in which a child starts reception.

Assessment cycle used in EYFS

Pupil Voice 

“I like coming to school.”

Marnie

“I liked playing with the cars.”

Joseph 

“ I love playing in the blocks with Eden.”

Lewis

Snapshots

Please see Class 1 Blog to find out what the EYFS children have been up to.