The EYFS is based on principles of inclusion which means that we oppose discrimination and prejudice and welcome all families and children. We provide care and education for a wide range of children in environments that enable children to feel safe and supported and which extend their learning and development.
Throughout the EYFS stress is placed upon understanding each child and their family as unique, with different needs and concerns. Children’s development is presented under six overlapping phases. This overlap is intended to emphasise the fact that there can be big differences between the development of children of similar ages. At the same time age can be a cue, when taken with all other factors, to indicate that development may be atypical and that a child may need extra support.
The EYFS is divided into 4 distinct themes all of which have an underlying principle:A Unique Child recognises that every child is a competent learner from birth who can
be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from a
base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.Enabling Environments explains that the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.Learning and Development recognisesthat children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates, and that all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected.
Each theme is broken down into 4 commitments:
A Unique Child
Inclusive Practice
Keeping Safe
Health and Well-being
Positive Relationships
Enabling Environments
Learning and Development
The 6 Areas of Learning and Development are:
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Communication, Language and Literacy
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Physical Development
Creative Development
The Childcare Act 2006 provides for the EYFS that the learning and development requirements comprise three elements:
the early learning goals – the knowledge, skills and understanding which young children should have acquired by the end of the academic year in which they reach the age of five;
the educational programmes – the matters, skills and processes which are required to be taught to young children;
the assessment arrangements – the arrangements for assessing young children to ascertain their achievements.
None of the Learning and Development areas can be delivered in isolation from the others.
They are equally important and depend on each other to support a rounded approach to child development. All the areas must be delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities.
Play
Ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning and development process. Practitioners must observe children and respond appropriately to help them make progress towards the early learning goals.
Training is available for practitioners who require support in order to assess capably and objectively. Assessments are based on practitioners’ observation of what children are doing in their day-to-day activities.
As judgements are based on observational evidence gathered from a wide range of learning and teaching contexts, it is expected that all adults who interact with the child should contribute to the process, and that account will be taken of information provided by parents.
We encourage parents to play an active role in the assessment process for their child and ask parents to complete ‘Home Observation’ forms as often as possible. These observation forms will be used to inform the planning and assessments made by practitioners.
Home Observation forms can be found in the lobby.
If children attend more than one setting, we ask that parents inform us of this so that we can network with the other settings in order to provide a consistent care routine and assessment process for that child.
The following statements have been taken from the EYFS Statutory Framework.
Where children receive education and care in more than one setting, practitioners must ensure continuity and coherence by sharing relevant information with each other and with parents.
‘Parents must be given free access to developmental records about their child (for example, the EYFS Profile).’
‘Providers must undertake sensitive observational assessment in order to plan to meet young
children’s individual needs.’
‘Providers must plan and provide experiences which are appropriate to each child’s stage of
development as they progress towards the early learning goals.’
Play underpins the delivery of all the EYFS and all development and learning for young children. Most children play spontaneously, although some may need adult support, and it is through play that they develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally.
Providing well-planned experiences based on children’s spontaneous play, both indoors
and outdoors, is an important way in which we support young children to learn with enjoyment and challenge.
In playing, children behave in different ways: sometimes their play will be responsive or boisterous, sometimes they may describe and discuss what they are doing, sometimes they will be quiet and reflective as they play.
The EYFS requires a balance of child-initiated and adult-led play-based activities.
We use our judgement and knowledge of the children in our care in deciding what the balance should be.
When a child engages in a self chosen pursuit, this is child initiated activity. For example, a child might elect to play with a fire engine – fitting the driver behind the steering wheel, extracting the driver, replacing the driver, throwing the driver back into a box and introducing a different driver. Another instance of a child-initiated choice may be where a child takes ownership of an activity and ‘subverts’ it to a different purpose than intended. For example, a child might prefer to pour water into a hole to make a puddle rather than watering the plants as the adult intended. Other child-initiated activities may be instigated when the child brings something to the setting – such as an experience of having been on a bus or visiting hospital. This might lead to the provision of resources, stories and pictures to support this interest. Whatever children bring is an indication of their current interest and should be supported.
Small group times are good example of an adult-led activity – the adult has selected the time to encourage a particular aspect of learning, or discuss a particular topic. The adult may introduce a particular material, skill or idea. Often when an adult initiates an activity, for example demonstrates the skill of weaving, the child’s need for adult involvement will decrease over time as they master the skill.
Our role is crucial in observing and reflecting on the child’s spontaneous play, building on this by resources and planning a challenging environment.
Play and Exploration
Active Learning
Creativity and Critical Thinking
Areas of Learning and Development
Observation, Assessment and Planning
Supporting Every Child
The Learning Environment
The Wider Context
Respecting Each Other
Parents as Partners
Supporting Learning
Key Person
Child Development 
