EYFS - Nursery and Reception

Welcome to the EYFS Class Page!

We are thrilled to welcome you and your child to our school community and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)! Starting school is an exciting milestone, and we are committed to making this experience positive, nurturing, and joyful for your child.

In EYFS, we believe that each child is unique and learns best through play and hands-on experiences. Our dedicated team of teachers and staff is here to support your child's development in a safe, caring, and stimulating environment. We focus on building a strong foundation in early literacy, numeracy, social skills, and personal growth. Most importantly, we strive to foster a love of learning that will stay with your child for years to come.

We value open communication and collaboration with parents. Throughout the year, you will have many opportunities to engage with us, whether through parent-teacher meetings, special events, or informal conversations. Your insights and feedback are essential as we work together to support your child's growth and development.

Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. We are here to help and make this transition as smooth as possible for you and your child.

We look forward to a wonderful year ahead filled with exploration, discovery, and lots of fun!

Warm regards,

Miss Taylor and the Early Years Foundation Stage Team

EYFS Team

Curriculum Overview

The EYFS curriculum is structured around seven key areas of learning, which are divided into two categories: prime areas and specific areas.

Prime Areas

These are fundamental in igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships, and thrive.

Communication and Language: Developing listening and attention skills, understanding spoken language, and expressing themselves clearly.
Physical Development: Enhancing both fine motor skills (such as writing and drawing) and gross motor skills (such as running and jumping), while also learning about health and self-care.
Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: Building confidence, managing feelings, developing a sense of self, and learning to work and play harmoniously with others.

Specific Areas

These areas provide a broader curriculum and help strengthen the prime areas.

Literacy: Encouraging a love for reading and writing, beginning with recognising letters, sounds, and simple words.
Mathematics: Introducing concepts such as subitising, counting, comparing as well as looking at patterns, length, weight, capacity and shapes. A key part of our approach to teaching mathematics in our Reception class is the NCETM Maths Mastery Programme. This programme aims to provide young children with a strong foundation in maths through a deeper understanding and enjoyment of the subject. It emphasizes understanding mathematical concepts deeply rather than simply memorizing procedures. The goal is to help children not only know how to do maths but also understand why mathematical concepts work. This method encourages children to become confident, competent, and enthusiastic mathematicians from an early age.
Understanding the World: Exploring their environment and community, learning about people, places, technology, and the natural world.

Expressive Arts and Design: Allowing children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as developing their imagination through art, music, dance, role-play, and design.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

In addition to these areas, the EYFS framework emphasises three key characteristics that support how children learn. These are crucial for fostering a love of learning and the development of lifelong skills.

Playing and Exploring: Children learn best when they are actively involved and are given opportunities to explore their environment. We encourage them to take on new challenges, show curiosity, and experiment with the world around them.
Active Learning: We focus on keeping children engaged, focused, and motivated. When children are actively participating, they persist with tasks even when they find them difficult, which helps build their confidence and resilience.
Creating and Thinking Critically: Encouraging children to think independently, make decisions, solve problems, and reflect on their learning experiences. This critical thinking fosters their creativity and the ability to make sense of the world.

How does this look day to day?

These areas of learning are covered through a variety of termly topics:

Autumn 1 – It’s Good to Be Me

Autumn 2 – The World Around Us

Spring 1 – Adventures Around the World

Spring 2 – Stories from Past and Present

Summer 1 – Tell Me a Tale

Summer 2 – The Great Outdoors.

Please see our Parent Curriculum Guide and Curriculum Overview for more information.