The best possible start to their education
Recognised as one of the world’s leading curricula for young children, the English Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) aligns with the National Curriculum for England, setting standards for the learning and development of children up to 5 years old.
The EYFS provides a broad, balanced learning experience, preparing little ones for their future education by fostering the skills, interests and confidence they need to develop into successful learners.
The seven areas of learning and development
Early Years children play, explore and create through activities shaped by the EYFS seven Areas of Learning and Development. The areas are designed to promote their interests while adapting to individual students’ needs, stimulating their passion for learning and helping them thrive.
Prime areas:
1. Personal, social, and emotional development: Children learn how to understand their feelings and manage their own behaviour through listening to stories, playing and forming bonds with their peers.
2. Communication and language: Children thrive in our rich language environment, developing the confidence and skills to express themselves while speaking and listening in a range of situations.
3. Physical development: We help develop students’ gross motor skills, which in turn enables them to develop their fine motor skills. On our dedicated Early Years Campus, children explore our exciting outdoor area and sports hall to refine these skills.
The three prime areas are applied and strengthened through the four specific areas:
1. Literacy: Children discover the foundations of early reading and writing through repetitive stories, role play, sequencing and motor skill activities, which lead to phonics and writing when they reach Reception age.
2. Maths: Our little ones develop their understanding of numbers through a range of real-life contexts.
3. Understanding the world: Children investigate the natural environment, learn about the past and present, and compare communities around the world.
4. Expressive arts and design: Our youngest students learn to express their feelings and ideas through a variety of immersive media, including song, dance, art, construction and drama.
Assessment
We regularly check in to see how our Early Years students are progressing, what they can do, and what they know. Through accurate assessments by teachers who understand developmental psychology, we identify children’s individual learning needs, and whether your child needs extra help or has a special educational need (SEN). At the end of their Reception year, children are assessed against the EYFS’s Early Learning Goals.
