In Reception we follow the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to give every child a happy, nurturing and inspiring start to school. Our environment encourages curiosity and independence through meaningful play and focussed teaching. Our team build positive relationships with children and families so that all feel happy and safe and ready to learn.
The EYFS sets the standards that all early year’s providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.
Learning is carefully planned for to ensure children access all 7 areas of Learning and Development in the EYFS. All these areas of learning are important and inter-connected. They are as follows:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play and learning that is guided by adults. We encourage children to be lifelong learners by building on the characteristics of effective learning:
- 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.
- Creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
Throughout each day children have the opportunity to work with teachers: as a whole class; in small group activities focussing on foundational knowledge; and playing alongside and with them building their language, understanding and social skills. Children learn inside and outside, as well as in our woodland area and the locality.
Throughout the Reception year resources and learning expectations are extended to ensure that by the end of the year children are ready and prepared for the expectations of year 1. At the end of the year we complete the EYFS Profile for all children. This assesses the level of development children should be expected to have reached by the end of the EYFS and is defined by the early learning goals (ELGs). This is part of the individual report we share with parents and Year 1 teachers.
Click the link below to see our full "Intent, Implementation and Impact" for the Early Years @ Trafalgar.