The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Leigh Primary School is made up of our morning Nursery class and our two Reception classes. Our aim is for all our children within the EYFS to be happy, confident and well-rounded individuals who are ready to access the National Curriculum in Year 1. We believe that every child is unique and should be treated so; in a safe and nurturing environment where play and learning is combined. We have high ambitions for all our children and recognise that children have different starting points to their learning. We plan according to a child’s stage of development so all children can thrive and develop in our care.

Our staff

The adults across our setting always provide high quality interactions with the children in their care and they ensure that they are excellent role models for learning and behaviour at all times. They observe and assess children’s learning and development ongoing, so as to plan relevant, engaging and challenging activities, through which to meet each child’s individual needs and plan their next steps.

The adults in our setting are skilled:

• Facilitators – who support learning through play across all areas
• Observers – that continually observe, assess and plan next steps
• Challengers – who lead the learning, so as to enable children to reach their full potential

What is the EYFS Framework?

The EYFS Framework is a legal document that we must follow and it is there to support all professionals working in the Early Years age group. It has a large emphasis on the adult’s role in helping children develop. It sets out:

• The legal welfare requirements that everyone registered to look after children must follow to keep your child safe and promote their welfare;
• The 7 areas of learning and development which guide professionals’ engagement with your child’s play and activities as they learn new skills and knowledge;
• Assessments that will tell you about your child’s progress through the EYFS;
• The expected levels (Early Learning Goals) that your child should reach at the age of 5, which is usually at the end of their reception year.

You can find out more information about the Early Years Foundation Stage at www.foundationyears.org.uk

What will my child be learning?

Your child will be learning skills, acquiring knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through seven areas of learning and development.

Children should mostly develop the three prime areas first:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.

As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in four specific areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

Activities will be suited to your child’s uniqueness. Your child will learn by playing and exploring, being active and through creative and critical thinking. We value the importance of both the outdoor and indoor learning environments and the different opportunities that these offer in the development of the whole child. We ensure that children have the opportunity to learn through play by providing provision planned around our topics but also based on the children’s own interests and experiences. We plan and assess using the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.

As a parent, how can I help?

We value our partnership with parents, ensuring that parents are secure in the knowledge that their child is well cared for and happy at school. Our parents are actively welcomed to be involved in their children’s learning in school and are able to share learning experiences through reading mornings, sharing of learning journeys and parent workshops. We recognise that parents are the first educators in a child’s life and value the contributions they make around judgements of their child’s development. We encourage informal chats at the school gate and parents can always make an appointment to speak with a member of the EYFS team or senior leadership, through the school office.

All the fun activities that you do with your child at home are important in supporting your child’s learning and development. We ask that you support the learning we do in school by attending workshops and supporting your child with their home learning. If you are looking for new ideas for things to do, then ask one of your child’s teachers. You can find out about what to support your child’s learning at home here: