The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well. It ensures that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school and that they are kept healthy and safe.
Educational programmes must involve activities and experiences for children as follows:
Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
At Tip Top we incorporate the EYFS through all that we do on a daily basis. All planning relates to the areas of the EYFS, observations and next steps are linked to the EYFS and all of the rooms are set up to reflect the EYFS. Upon starting at Tip Top, all parents will receive a parent friendly copy of the EYFS to read through and highlight what point their child is currently at with their development. We then use the ‘What to expect, when’ to provide us with starting points.