What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The EYFS sets the standards for children’s education from birth to five years old.  The EYFS splits learning into seven areas (three 'Prime' & four 'Specific' areas):

Prime Areas 

• Communication and language – developing children's ability to listen and attend in different situations, communicate effectively, and develop their vocabulary to articulate their learning and ideas
• Physical development – developing children's gross and motor strength, ability to move in different ways, balance, negotiate space and avoid obstacles, take risks, manipulate tools, manage their own needs and develop an understanding of healthy food and life choices
• Personal, social and emotional development – developing children's social skills, including how to maintain friendships, recognise and control their feelings in different situations, manage conflict and consider others’ feelings

Specific Areas

• Literacy – developing children's ability to hear and identify different sounds, building an understanding of story structure and language, making links between letters and sounds, sharing and enjoying different stories and learning the mechanics/purposes of writing
• Mathematics – developing an awareness of numbers, shape and space, while understanding basic concepts like doubling, halving, and adding or taking away 1
• Understanding the world – encouraging curiosity about a child’s environment, be it the physical world or their community, as well as building an understanding of technology and its different uses 
• Expressive arts and design – experimenting with their creativity through arts and crafts, instruments or other media, as well as responding to different stimuli, including music and dance

The three 'Prime' areas (Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development) form the building blocks of a child’s development, enabling them to progress and build strength in the 'Specific' areas.

What to Expect, When?

As well as Birth to 5 Matters and Development Matters (see About Our Pre-school/Curriculum), the DfE produced What to Expect When? (latest version released in 2018) as a guide to your child’s learning and development in the early years foundation stage.  To view the document, please click on the PDF below: 

Useful Websites

If you would like to find out more about the Early Years Foundation Stage, we recommend the following websites/organisations.  To view the information, please click on the links below: