The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
'Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age 5 have a major impact on their future life chances,' (Statutory Framework for the EYFS).
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a framework that outlines the learning, development and care requirements from children from Birth to 5 years, set out by the Department of Education. It sets the standards for all Early Years providers to ensure that all children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.
It states that all children should be observed and experiences provided to promote learning based upon the following 7 areas:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Art and Design
The EYFS explains that each of these areas of learning and development should be implemented through planned, purposeful play. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. It goes on the explain that practitioners should respond to each child’s emerging needs and interests, guiding their development through warm, positive interaction.
The EYFS recognises that children are born ready, able and eager to learn. Development however, is not an automatic process. It depends on each unique child having opportunities to interact in positive relationships and enabling environments (Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage). The four themes of the EYFS are; A Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and Development. The themes and principles describe the features of practice on which the EYFS is based. They emphasise that the child is of first importance and that all relationships, experiences and the environment together influence how the child will develop, play and learn.
At Little Dragon's Day Nursery, we strongly believe that when children are allowed to select where, with what, and how to play, they are truly invested in their play and become deeply involved and make dramatic progress. It is in these moments of curiosity, puzzlement, effort or interest (what we call 'the teachable moments’), that our skilful practitioners work their magic. At Little Dragon's Day Nursery, we join the children as they play to observe, assess and teach them in their own unique moment of discovery, as and when they immerge. We know that young children are experiencing and learning in the here and now, and do not store up their questions until tomorrow or next week and as a result of this, our 'down to earth' take on the EYFS ensures that every learning opportunity is maximised. Our enabling learning environment and attentive, passionate staff enable children to become fully immersed in their play, demonstrating concentration, creativity, energy and persistence - all essential skills that form the foundations of a life-long learner. We pride ourselves in ensuring that our team have an excellent understanding of child development and the EYFS and inspire children to develop lively, enquiring minds and a love for learning.
In light of the above, we cover the EYFS curriculum through child-initiated play and ‘Planning in the Moment’ by providing:
v Enabling Environment
Children are born with a natural desire to explore and are hard wired to learn. We know that when children are deeply engaged, their brain is developing and new synapses are forming – i.e. they are making progress. The best levels of involvement are seen when children are allowed to initiate their own play. Little Dragon’s Day Nursery is a superb ‘enabling’ environment where children have endless opportunities to become fully immersed, engaged and purposeful in their play i.e. their brain is ‘lit up’. The layout of our nursery has been specifically designed to enable children to grow and journey through their own personal development stages, providing all children with opportunities that can be tailored to suit their unique needs.
v Skilled Practitioners
Children live in the here and now. Making an observation about a child now and planning a ‘next step’ activity for them tomorrow is a missed learning opportunities – the moment has gone tomorrow so we must act on it now or ‘in the moment’. Our highly-qualified team will make a real difference to learning and development by seizing the moments when a child first show curiosity, and support their next steps immediately. We do not pre-plan what the children are going to do, rather we remain ‘in the moment’ with the children and support them as they explore and learn. We observe carefully and enhance the learning whenever we spot a ‘teachable’ moment. We know the children ‘inside out’ as unique individuals and are therefore able to tailor our response to the particular child, in that particular situation, at that particular moment. We are able to spot the unique ‘teachable’ moment and act on it, resulting in outstanding progress over time.