Early Years Foundation Stage

Here at Bitterne Community Preschool CIO, we provide a curriculum for the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2012

The Early Years Foundation Stage is built on these four themes

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development

There are seven areas of learning and development that enable us to help shape our educational programmes. 

There are three areas that are particularly crucial for the children’s learning and development known as the prime areas.

These three areas, the prime areas, are:

• Communication and Language;
• Physical development;
• Personal, Social and Emotional development.

We also help and support the children in these four specific areas.

 The specific areas are:

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

Each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. In planning for this and guiding children’s activities, we reflect on the different ways that the children learn. We look at three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

• 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; and
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Children's play reflects their wide ranging and varied interests. Children learn best through physical and mental challenges.

Active learning involves other people, objects and ideas that engage and involve them for periods of time. Play with their peers is important for children's development.

Please click here for the framework document Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage