Early Years Foundation Stage: Nurturing a Love for Learning
At New Park Primary, our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) focusses on working with parents and carers to cultivate independent, enthusiastic learners who thrive and reach their full potential. We aim for every child to embark on their lifelong learning journey by developing physically, verbally, cognitively, and emotionally, fostering a positive attitude towards school and a deep love of learning.
We consider each child's unique starting points and needs, providing a broad, balanced, and differentiated curriculum that prepares them for future opportunities and responsibilities. By focusing on individual interests, we plan and provide engaging indoor and outdoor opportunities to support learning and development, helping children achieve their Early Learning Goals.
Our Approach: The EYFS Framework
Our Early Years education is built upon the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, guided by four core principles:
- Unique Child: Every child is unique, constantly learning, resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
- Positive Relationships: Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships with others.
- Enabling Environments: Children learn and develop effectively in environments that respond to their individual needs, fostering strong partnerships between practitioners and families.
- Learning and Development: Children learn and develop in diverse ways. The framework covers the education and care of all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
We offer a play-based and experiential learning environment, combined with focused teaching of basic skills, to ensure rapid progress before Year 1. Children in both Nursery and Reception engage in planned, focused activities alongside self-initiated and free-flow play, utilising our rich indoor and outdoor provision.
Areas of Learning and Development
Our Early Years learning experiences are linked to the seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS, divided into three prime areas and four specific areas.
Prime Areas (Essential for Healthy Development)
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Opportunities for children to be active, interactive, and develop coordination, control, movement, and make healthy choices.
- Communication and Language: Creating a rich language environment to develop confidence in expression, speaking, and listening in various situations.
- Physical Development: Helping children develop a positive sense of self and others, form positive relationships, manage feelings, understand appropriate group behaviour, and build confidence in their abilities.
Specific Areas (Develop as Prime Areas Progress):
- Literacy: Encouraging children to link sounds and letters, and begin to read and write, with access to a wide range of reading materials.
- Mathematics: Opportunities to develop and improve skills in counting, number understanding, simple addition/subtraction, and describing shapes, spaces, and measures.
- Understanding the World: Guiding children to make sense of their physical world and community by exploring, observing, and learning about people, places, technology, and the environment.
- Expressive Arts and Design: Enabling children to explore and play with diverse media and materials, and express thoughts, ideas, and feelings through art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
Smooth Transitions and Continuous Progress
We ensure a smooth transition between Nursery, Reception, and beyond. Effective communication and collaboration ensure children leave the EYFS with a solid foundation of learning to build upon. Regular assessment procedures monitor learning and progress in all seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.
We are currently refining our Early Years curriculum. Our current and amended curriculum offers are attached. For more information, please contact the school to arrange a meeting with our Early Years lead.
