What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?
Welcome to the Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS for short! This is the term used by the Government and early years professionals to describe the important stage in your child’s life from birth to age 5.
These first years are such an exciting and special time in your child’s development. The EYFS helps your child get ready for school and lays the foundations for their future learning and success.
Our aim is to make sure every child’s early years are happy, active, fun, and full of opportunities to explore and learn in a safe and caring environment.
Intent
Our curriculum is carefully designed to build on what children already know and can do — whether that learning comes from home, nursery, or other experiences. We work closely with parents, carers, and other settings to make sure every child gets the very best start and reaches their full potential.
We focus on helping children succeed through working and learning together. A big part of this is developing the Prime Areas of Learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, and Communication and Language, including Oracy (the ability to express thoughts and ideas clearly). We believe that strong speaking and listening skills not only support learning but also help children grow in confidence, resilience, and empathy — important skills for life.
Our classrooms and outdoor spaces are warm, welcoming, and full of opportunities for children to explore, play, and make connections in their learning. Skilled adults support and extend their ideas through meaningful interactions and rich learning experiences.
We know that children learn best when they are fully engaged and having fun. That’s why our curriculum encourages curiosity, creativity, and independence through play and hands-on experiences. We follow children’s interests and ideas to nurture a lifelong love of learning — both in school and beyond.
By the end of the Reception year, we aim for all children to have made excellent progress from their starting points and to be confident, curious, and ready for the next step in Year 1.
Implementation
Each half term, our Early Years team introduces a new topic or theme to spark children’s curiosity and inspire their learning. These themes give structure to our curriculum while still allowing plenty of flexibility for children to follow their own interests and ideas.
Children learn through a balance of activities — some led by adults and others that they choose and explore independently. Our daily timetable is carefully planned to include short, focused teaching sessions alongside lots of time for play and discovery. As the year goes on, the timetable is adapted to meet the children’s changing needs.
During small group sessions, teachers work closely with children to check understanding, support new learning, and give helpful feedback in the moment. This approach helps each child make great progress and feel confident in what they’re learning.
We also make sure children have lots of time for independent learning through play. Our learning environments — both indoors and outdoors — are thoughtfully set up to engage, challenge, and inspire children every day. We value outdoor learning just as much as indoor learning, as both offer exciting opportunities for exploration and growth.
How my child will be learning?
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), your child will be learning new skills, gaining knowledge, and showing what they understand through seven areas of learning and development.
Children begin by focusing on the three prime areas, which are most important for building a strong foundation for future learning:
-
Communication and Language – developing speaking, listening, and understanding skills.
-
Physical Development – growing in strength, coordination, and control.
-
Personal, Social and Emotional Development – learning to build relationships, manage feelings, and develop confidence and independence.
As your child grows, these prime areas support learning in four specific areas:
-
Literacy
-
Mathematics
-
Understanding the World
-
Expressive Arts and Design
Children in the EYFS learn best through play, exploration, and hands-on experiences — both indoors and outdoors. Our classrooms are full of exciting learning areas, such as maths, mark making, role play, water and sand play, art, reading, and construction, to name just a few!
At the end of the Reception year, your child’s progress is measured against the Early Learning Goals. Most children working at the expected level will achieve these goals, giving them the skills and confidence they need to move successfully into Year 1.
EYFS Progression
Our Classroom
In our classroom, we have lots of exciting areas where children can explore, play, and learn. We call this time “independent learning” because children choose where they’d like to learn and practise their skills — with adults nearby to support and encourage them when needed.
Learning takes place both indoors and outdoors, giving children plenty of opportunities to discover new things in different ways. Some of our learning areas include:
-
🏡 Home Corner – for imaginative play and role play
-
🎨 Creative and Painting Areas – for art, design, and expression
-
📚 Reading and Phonics Area – to enjoy books and develop early reading skills
-
✏️ Writing and Mark Making Areas – to practise early writing and fine motor skills
-
🔢 Maths Area – for counting, sorting, and problem-solving
-
🔬 Science and Investigation Area – to explore and experiment
-
🌍 Small World and Construction Areas – for building, storytelling, and creativity
-
🏖️ Sand and Water Areas – for sensory play and discovery
-
🏃 Physical and Outdoor Areas – to build strength, coordination, and confidence
These carefully planned spaces help children learn through play, imagination, and exploration — all while having fun!
How can you help at home?
Everything you do with your child at home helps support their learning and development — and it really does make a lasting difference as they move through school. The best part is that learning at home can be simple, fun, and part of your everyday routines!
Here are some easy ways to help your child learn through play and shared experiences:
-
🎵 Sing songs and say nursery rhymes together.
-
🔢 Talk about numbers, colours, letters, and words you see when you’re out and about.
-
🧁 Cook or bake together – let your child help measure, pour, and mix.
-
✂️ Cut and stick pictures from magazines to make collages or storyboards.
-
🌱 Plant seeds or bulbs in a pot or garden patch and watch them grow.
-
🌳 Explore the park or woods and notice how things change through the seasons.
-
📚 Share books – read together every day and talk about the stories.
-
💬 Chat with your child throughout the day about what you’re doing and what’s happening around you.
Every conversation, question, and shared moment helps your child build confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning!
Online Learning Journal Through Tapestry
Observations by Staff
In school we use Tapestry as one of several forms of assessment. We observe and record key moments in your child’s development, you will revive these through the tapesty app.
Observations by Parents
One of the fantastic features of Tapestry is that parents can also add observations/wow moments from home to your child’s journal. This is a great way of supporting us in assessing your child outside the school environment, it also provides us with opportunities to celebrate any achievements your child has made at home.
- Add a title to your observation to summarise your moment e.g. Feeding the ducks
- When writing your observation keep it simple. Try and record what your child said in their exact words and then comment on why this is a wow moment e.g. ‘X was excited to feed the ducks, she said “Look that duck is big than that duck”.
- If you wish, then you can then add a photo or video to your observation (please keep videos to a maximum of 1 minute long).
Commenting on observations by staff
When you read the observations by staff there is an option for you to leave a reply.
Remember: - Any publishing of staff observations from Tapestry onto social media is strictly prohibited. - Contact a member of staff if you are unsure about how to use any of the Tapestry features.
Click on the video links below on how to use tapestry.
How to download your child's learning journey
