Foundation Stage 1 & 2

The Early Years Foundation Stage is about how children learn, as well as what they learn. Children need opportunities to develop their own play and independent exploration. This is enjoyable and motivating both for children and teachers alike! They also need adults to ‘scaffold’ their learning by giving them just enough help to achieve something they could not do independently. Helping children to think, discuss and plan ahead is important, like gathering the materials they need to make a den before they start building. These are ways of helping children to develop the characteristics of effective learning.

Children learn and develop more from birth to five years old than at any other time in their lives. When we give every child the best start in their early years, we give them what they need today. We also set them up with every chance of success tomorrow. EYFS sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to five years old (our Foundation Stage includes FS1 and FS2 with children aged between 3 and 5 years old). The level of progress children should be predicted to have attained by the end of Foundation Stage is defined by 17 Early Learning Goals (ELGs). These learning objectives are spread across and divided into the seven Areas of Learning and Development. The EYFS ELGs go hand in hand with the EYFS outcomes that can guide both parents and practitioners on the level of developmental progress that their child is making. It is also important to remember that every child develops and grows at their own pace and in our Foundation Stage, every child and ability is catered for.