Early Years Foundation Stage - EYFS

EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE

"Through unstructured exploration, we foster the development of imagination and creativity."

Beth Rosenthal Davis

A Child Centred Curriculum

At The Village School our curriculum is based on providing a child-centred curriculum which places the child at the heart of the learning process. We believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and in the Foundation Stage we aim to give this by building on what children know and can do and supporting them to fulfil their potential. 

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework in England that sets the standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to age five. It aims to ensure that every child receives high-quality early education that lays a strong foundation for future learning and life.

In accordance with the Department for Education (DfE), we carry out a Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) within 6 weeks of children commencing school.  This is a national assessment that is administered in all primary, infant and first schools in England to children in reception classes.

The RBA provides a snapshot of where children are when they arrive at school and it also provides a starting point to measure the progress schools make with their learners between reception and at the end of primary school.

The Prime Areas of learning are important because they lay the foundation for all future learning and development. These areas are considered crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and thriving in school and life.   The Specific Areas help apply the foundation skills from the Prime Areas and encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative expression.

How We Learn

The learning environment allows children to engage all of their senses with challenging, creative and innovative opportunities.

Open-ended resources are provided so that they can be manipulated, moved and combined in a variety of ways.

Resources are chosen to reflect children’s interests within the learning environment, allowing children to make choices and decisions and follow an interest or line of enquiry. Effective tailoring of resources to reflect pupils' interests in Early Years learning is a powerful way to boost engagement, curiosity, and developmental progress.

We strongly believe that our provision: -

• Is broad and balanced with the flexibility to meet individual needs.
• Reflects progression and be adapted to support a range of learners with complex needs
• Promotes spiritual, moral, social, cultural and physical development.
• Promotes creativity in learning.
• Uses the community as an extension of the classroom to reinforce the work that we do in school. Prepares pupils for the transition to adolescence and adulthood.
• Engages parents in partnerships to enhance the pupil’s cognitive, emotional and social development. Operates within a clear framework of planning, assessment and reporting.

Thematic Approach to Learning

When learners commence school, they are introduced to a three-year rolling programme which they complete at the end of KS1. The EYFS uses a play-based approach to learning and focuses on having a curriculum that gives each young person the best start to their education through a carefully planned environment. We use a thematic approach to plan for teaching and learning which advocates creativity and active engagement in learning. The programme provides a change of theme every term to prevent repetition.

Learning Pathways and Planning

We are committed to providing an inclusive Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum that meets the needs of all children, including those with complex needs. We ensure that learning experiences are differentiated, accessible, and tailored to each child’s developmental stage and unique needs. Staff use multi-sensory approaches, visual supports, and structured routines to promote engagement, communication, and independence. Teachers carefully plan to enable all learners to develop critical skills, such as early communication, focus and attention, independence, life and social skills, as well as learning routines associated with being at school.

Teachers also use their specialist knowledge and skills to adapt the curriculum to meet the complex and diverse needs of pupils by implementing a holistic, individualised, and collaborative approach.

Or medium-term plan provides is a clear road-map which focuses on holistic development and play-based learning.

By documenting progress and interests, teachers can tailor activities and resources to meet each child’s needs. This ensures learning is child-centred and responsive to their unique strengths and challenges.

We create learning journeys where we record and annotate progress. This record is a combination of observations, annotated photos, learners’ work and parental voice. Learning journeys serve as a comprehensive record of each child’s development and progress throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage. It provides a well-rounded picture of a child’s growth across all areas of learning.

Our Reading, Writing and Maths pathways are structured approaches that guides how skills in these areas are developed across the different stages of learning.  

In Reading, we focus at developing language and communication through stories, songs and conversations. We encourage phonological awareness (rhymes, initial sounds) before formal phonics and we introduce books in a print-rich environment to foster enjoyment and comprehension.

In Writing, we explore mark making and early writing using a variety of writing tools. Children develop control as they create patterns and scribbles, along with writing random letters or drawing shapes.

Our early maths focuses on building foundational concepts through play, exploration and hands-on activities rather than formal calculations. Maths For Life is a programme we use which offers a pathway which starts right at the beginning with pre-number skills and works towards achieving all the maths needed in preparation for adulthood

Assessments and Progress Tracking

Observations are important in early years as they help us better understand children’s learning. We carry out on-going formative assessments, and this enables us to promptly recognise any gaps in learning. Through observing and recording, we can assess each child’s motivation, interest and progress.

EHCPs are legal documents that outline a child or young person's special educational needs (SEN), the support they require, and the outcomes they are working towards. We track and record progress through regular assessments of EHCP outcomes and at yearly review meetings a decision is made with parents/carers and education professionals on whether to continue, set new goals for the coming year or to end the EHCP.  

All aspects of learning and school life are designed to inspire and engage children, through focusing on Educational, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) outcomes, along with an exciting curriculum; as well as developing sensory opportunities and essential life skills.

We use Evidence for Learning to record the children’s progress over the academic year in all areas of learning and development in the EYFS Statutory Framework. We also gather samples of the children’s work along with the observations, which are collated in Learning Journey and Early Learning Goals folders.

Parents and carers are kept up to date with their child’s progress and development. A personalised report is sent to parents and carers yearly, as well as Parent feedback forms, which are sent throughout the year. We also invite parents to attend a parents’ evening on at least two occasions during the year.

At the end of the EYFS, the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) must be completed for each child. This provides a well-rounded picture of your child and their readiness for year 1. It reflects the ongoing observations we carried out, the records we hold and the discussions we have had over the EYFS. Your child’s development will be assessed against the Early Learning Goals and to provide a clear picture of how they have progressed across 7 areas of learning and the 17 Early learning Goals.  Each child’s attainment for every Early Learning Goal is judged as either ‘Emerging’ or ‘Expected’.

Preparation For Adulthood

Preparation for Adulthood is a theme that runs through all the key stages starting from Early Years Foundation Stage and it continues to post-16 education. It is part of the SEND Code of Practice and focuses on four main outcomes: -

• Employment
• Independent Living
• Community and Inclusion
• Health

Each child has an individual destination pathway which is regularly reviewed.  The pathway lays the foundations for skills and experiences that will help them thrive as they grow.

Inspired by the belief that "It takes a village to raise a child," we work in close partnership with families, businesses and the wider community to create meaningful pathways into the world beyond school.

 We recognise that every child’s learning journey is unique, and our aim is to prepare them for life beyond education.

Even though adulthood feels far away for young children, the principles start early. Our children engage in activities which help to develop problem solving and decision-making abilities. 

They also form positive relationships, develop the ability to build resilience and to express emotions in a safe environment.  

Starting School

Parents/carers are invited for an informal visit to be introduced to the school.  Visits may also be made at a child’s previous setting.  After a placement has been agreed upon, parents/carers and the child come along for an initial meeting. Here they meet the staff who will be closely involved with the child, including their class teacher and other agencies such as the speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nursing staff. EYFS at TVS is committed to providing a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that engages, motivates, excites and challenges our learners whilst preparing them for the future

Through careful planning and delivery, our curriculum is differentiated and personalised to meet the needs of our learners, enabling them to reach their potential and prepare them to take their place in society. We believe our pupils deserve the best provision possible, and therefore, we have high expectations and regularly review and evaluate the curriculum to ensure it is fit for its’ purpose. We pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional standard of education that ensures every child thrives academically, socially and emotionally.  If you would like any more information about our Early Years provision, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with:

Mr Karol Stelmaszczyk                          Miss Lauren Lightstone                                     Joy Etete

Headteacher                                        Assistant Headteacher                              EYFS Key Stage Lead