The EYFS is the statutory curriculum by which we are inspected, along with all schools and Ofsted registered providers of early years childcare.
The EYFS promotes teaching and learning to ensure ‘school readiness’ and gives children a broad range of knowledge and skills to provide a foundation for future progress.
- Quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind;
- A secure foundation through learning and development opportunities which are planned around the needs and interests of each individual child and are assessed and reviewed regularly;
- Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers;
- Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported.
The curriculum specifies requirements for learning and development and for safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. This covers:
- The areas of learning and development which must shape activities and experiences (educational programmes) for children in all early years settings;
- The early learning goals that providers must help children work towards (the knowledge, skills and understanding children should have at the end of the academic year in which they turn five);
- Assessment arrangements for measuring progress (and requirements for reporting to parents and/or carers).
The safeguarding and welfare requirements cover the steps that providers must take to keep children safe and promote their welfare. These are:
- every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured;
- children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships;
- children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers;
- children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The Curriculum is reflected throughout the nursery, indoors and outdoors. We are an inclusive practice that welcomes all children and their families. We actively promote the learning and development that each individual child wants for their future. We also set that within a special, loving and caring environment that meets their needs.
