Nursery (Foundation One) and Reception (Foundation Two)
The Early Years Foundation Stage is for children aged three to five, and covers the years they spend from the beginning of Nursery to the end of Reception class. This is recognised as a distinct stage of learning, when children learn best through active play which builds on their individual needs and interests.
Young children will have a wide range of different experiences, skills and interests when they join a setting or school at age three, four or five. They need a well planned and resourced curriculum to take their learning forward and to provide opportunities for all children to succeed in an atmosphere of care and feeling valued.
The Early Years Foundation Stage prepares for all future learning by supporting, fostering, promoting and developing children. The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is organised into six areas of learning:
Personal, social and emotional development
Your child will learn to be self-confident, take an interest in things, know what their own needs are, tell the difference between right and wrong, and be able to dress and undress.
Communication, language and literacy
Your child will learn to talk confidently and clearly, enjoying stories, songs and poems, hearing and saying sounds, and linking them to the alphabet. They will read and write some familiar words and learn to use a pencil.
Mathematical development
Your child will develop an understanding of maths through stories, songs, games and imaginative play. They will become comfortable with numbers and with ideas such as 'heavier than' or 'bigger'. They will be aware of shapes and space.
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Your child will explore and find out about the world around them, asking questions about it. They will build with different materials, know about everyday technology and learn what it is used for. They will find out about past events in their lives and their families' lives. They will find out about different cultures and beliefs.
Physical development
Your child will learn to move confidently, controlling their body and handling equipment.
Creative development
Your child will explore colours and shapes, trying out dance, making things, telling stories and making music.
The early learning goals set out the skills, understanding, knowledge and attitudes it is hoped children will reach or exceed by the end of the Foundation Stage. An integral part of the Foundation Stage is play, both adult-led and child-initiated, indoors and outdoors, as this is a key way in which young children learn.
Sometimes they will choose what they want to do. At other times they take part in activities which help them learn how to concentrate or develop a particular skill, like using scissors or gluing card.