What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

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The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is how the Government and early year’s professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and age 5.

This is a very important stage as it helps your child get ready for school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes. From when your child is born up until the age of 5, their early years experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure. It should support their development, care and learning needs.

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What is the EYFS Framework? – Why do we have one?

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The EYFS Framework exists to support all professionals working in the EYFS to help your child. It was developed with a number of early year’s experts as well as parents.

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The framework is clear and easy to use which focuses on the things that matter most. 

• The legal welfare requirements that everyone registered to look after children must follow to keep your child safe and promote their welfare.

• The 7 areas of learning and development which guide professionals’ engagement with your child’s play and activities as they learn new skills and knowledge.

• Assessments that will tell you about your child’s progress through the EYFS.

• Expected levels that your child should reach at age 5, usually the end of the Reception year, these expectations are called the ‘Early Learning Goals.’

• There is also guidance for the professionals supporting your child on planning the learning activities; observing and assessing what and how your child is learning and developing and what their next steps are. 

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Characteristics of Learning

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The Characteristics of Effective Learning and the prime and specific Areas of Learning and Development are all interconnected.

The ways in which the child engages with other people and their environment – playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically – underpin learning and development across all areas and support the child to remain an effective and motivated learner.

The prime areas begin to develop quickly in response to relationships and experiences, and run through and support learning in all other areas. The prime areas continue to be fundamental throughout the EYFS.

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What does it mean for me as a parent?

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Much thought has been given to making sure that your child is as safe as possible. Within the EYFS there is a set of welfare standards that everyone must follow. These include the numbers of staff required in a nursery and things like administering medicines and carrying out risk assessments. All of our documentation can be found on our parent app 'Famly' allowing easy access to the information for all our parents.  

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You can find out about the quality of your child’s nursery and other Early Years providers in relation to the EYFS Framework by checking what the Government’s official inspection body for early years, Ofsted has to say about it. You can find this information at www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report.

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How my child will be learning – the 7 areas of learning and development

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The EYFS Framework explains how and what your child will be learning to support their healthy development. Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development.

Children should mostly develop the 3 prime areas first. These are:

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• Communication and Language

• Physical Development

• Personal, social and emotional development.

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These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning. As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas. These are:

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• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the world

• Expressive arts and design

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These 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. The educators teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities are suited to your child’s unique needs. This is a little bit like a curriculum in primary and secondary schools, but it’s suitable for very young children, and it is designed to be really flexible so that staff can follow your child’s unique needs and interest. Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outdoors.

 

For more information please visit

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2

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Next Steps in the EYFS: What Parents Need to Know

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As part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, children’s learning and development are observed and assessed regularly by practitioners to ensure they are progressing in a way that supports their individual needs. These observations help practitioners to identify a child’s strengths, as well as areas where they may need further support or challenge. This leads to setting “next steps” in the child’s learning journey.

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What Are Next Steps in the EYFS?

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Next steps are the specific goals or activities that practitioners set for children to support their ongoing development. They are based on the child’s current stage of learning and help focus their attention on the areas where they can improve or grow. These next steps are linked to the EYFS Development Matters framework and are typically aligned with the 7 areas of learning.

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Next steps are tailored to each child’s individual needs, ensuring that they are not only encouraged to progress in areas where they are strong but also given the right level of support to develop in areas where they might be struggling or need a challenge.

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Why Do Practitioners Use Next Steps?

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Practitioners use next steps to ensure that the educational experience is personalised and developmentally appropriate for each child. By setting clear, achievable next steps, practitioners can guide a child’s learning in a structured way. These goals also provide a way for:

• Tracking Progress: Observing and recording how children meet their next steps allows practitioners to monitor progress and identify if there are any areas that need additional support.

• Providing Targeted Support: By identifying the child’s specific needs, next steps ensure that the right resources, activities, and interventions are provided, giving each child the best opportunity to succeed.

• Planning Future Learning: The next steps form part of the overall learning journey, helping practitioners plan future activities and experiences that will challenge the child at their appropriate level.

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How Can Parents Contribute to Informing the Nursery of Their Child’s Next Steps?

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Parents play a crucial role in their child’s development, and their insights are valuable in identifying the most appropriate next steps for the child. Here are a few ways parents can contribute:

1. Share Observations from Home: Children often develop new skills and interests outside of the nursery environment. Parents can share observations about what their child enjoys doing at home, whether it’s playing with a new toy, using new words, or trying out new activities. This information can be used to help set realistic next steps that align with the child’s overall development.

2. Attend Parent-Teacher Meetings: We will offer regular opportunities for parents to meet with practitioners to discuss their child’s progress. This is an excellent time to ask about next steps and how parents can support them at home.

3. Provide Feedback: If parents notice something the child is struggling with or excelling at, sharing this feedback with the us allows practitioners to adjust their observations and ensure next steps are relevant.

4. Engage in Home Learning Activities: Practitioners often provide parents with simple activities to support next steps at home. These might include reading a particular book, engaging in imaginative play, or practising counting. When parents engage with these activities, it can reinforce the next steps set by the nursery.

5. Ask Questions: Parents should feel comfortable asking how they can best support their child’s learning at home. Being actively involved helps ensure a consistent approach between home and nursery, making it easier for children to make progress.

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Conclusion

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Next steps are an essential part of the EYFS framework, guiding practitioners to provide targeted support that helps each child thrive in their learning journey. By working in partnership with parents, practitioners can ensure that the child’s development is nurtured in a way that meets their unique needs and promotes a positive learning experience. Parents are encouraged to share their observations, ask questions, and actively engage in their child’s development, helping to create a consistent and supportive environment for the child both at home and in the nursery.

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Progress Checks – 2 years old

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At some point after your child turns 2 our educators working with your child will give you a written summary of how your child is progressing against the 3 prime areas of learning. This check will highlight areas where your child is progressing well and anywhere they may need some extra help or support. You may find it useful to share the information from the check with other professionals such as health visitors who may use it as part of their health and development review.

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Where can I go for further information?

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Our Nursery Managers and practitioners are more than happy to talk with parents in relation to the Early Years Foundation Stage and your child’s individual development.

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You can also find the Early Years Foundation Stage at; www.foundationyears.org.uk

The Foundation Years website also includes a range of resources and contacts.

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