It is compulsory in the UK for every Early Years provider to adhere to the EYFS (Early Years foundation stage curriculum). This contains four overarching principles:

 

• Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured;

• Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships;

• Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers; and

• Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.

 

The areas of learning and development include 3 prime areas, which are:

• Communication and Language

• Physical Development

• Personal, social and Emotional Development

and 4 specific areas, which are:

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the world

• Expressive arts and design.

 

The characteristics of effective learning as detailed in the EYFS comprise of:

• Play and exploring – engagement

  • Finding out and exploring

  • Playing with what they know

  • Being willing to 'have a go'

• Active learning – motivation

  • Being involved and concentrating

  • Keeping trying

  • Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

• Creating and thinking critically – thinking

  • Having their own ideas

  • Making links

  • Choosing ways to do things

 

Personal Profiles

Every child who attend our setting will have their own personal file. This will comprise of a record of the child's development through the EYFS. It will include an online app called Tapestry to store photographs of activities they have been involved in, observations I have made of their development. I will then make conduct a termly assessment of their progression and set the 'next steps' that we are hoping to achieve. These profiles will stay with the child when they leave my care.

 

Progress check at age two

When a child is aged 24-35 months I have a legal responsibility to review their progress across the three prime areas as mentioned above. I will seek to do this in conjunction with their parents, identifying any strengths and weaknesses and planning how any areas of difficulty will be supported. This review will be included in the child's personal profile and may be shared with other professionals such as health visitors with parental consent.

 

Assessment at the end of the EYFS

In the final term of the year in which a child reaches age 5 and no later than 30 June in that term, a concluding review must be written detailing the child's progress towards expected levels of development as described in the EYFS, this must give a well-rounded picture of a child's knowledge, understanding and abilities. These reviews will mostly be completed by the child's school reception teacher however, when a child leaves my setting to attend school, regardless of their age, I will complete a similar review to support the child's transition to school. Parents will have the opportunity to contribute to these and they will be included in the child's personal profile.

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