Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum Intent (Nursery and Reception)
The EYFS curriculum is designed to be highly responsive to individual children’s learning needs and interests. The curriculum is planned meticulously to stimulate children’s interests, curiosity and imagination in all areas of learning. Children are encouraged to become independent learners. They use all their senses to explore real hands-on activities and then process this information to form their own ideas and make sense of the world. A language and literacy rich provision is offered, paying particular attention to the development of communication, language, oracy and reading skills. This ensures all children have the knowledge and skills they need for future learning.
There are 7 areas of learning and development in the EYFS framework. The Prime areas are important because they lay the foundations for children’s success in all other areas of learning, these are: Communication and Language, Physical development, Personal, Social and Emotional development. The Specific areas provide the range of experiences and opportunities for children to broaden their knowledge and skills, these are: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, Expressive Arts and Design. We use the Educational Programmes, set out in the EYFS Framework, as a guide to plan children’s activities and experiences in all seven areas of learning.
Included in the EYFS framework are the Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL). The focus of the CoEL is how children learn rather than what they learn. During their earliest years, children form attitudes about learning that will last a lifetime. Children are encouraged to have a positive attitude towards learning new things; explore their environment with enthusiasm and independence; concentrate on their activities for longer periods of time; keep on trying when they come across a problem; use their imagination; talk about what they are thinking; and try different methods if things don’t work the first time. We support children to develop these characteristics to make sure they become effective learners.
