Setting the standards
The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) establishes the guidelines for promoting the learning, development, and safety of children aged from birth to five years in Ofsted registered settings.
The EYFS includes:
- Areas of learning and development that shape educational programmes in all early years settings.
- Early learning goals that providers must help children work towards by the end of the academic year in which they turn five.
- Assessment procedures to measure progress and communicate with parents or carers Moreover, the safeguarding and welfare requirements detail the measures that providers need to take to ensure children’s safety and well-being.
The EYFS legislation establishes the mandatory standards that early years childcare providers must adhere to, including:
- Learning and development requirements that specify areas of learning shaping activities and experiences offered.
- Assessment requirements detailing how children’s progress is evaluated and reported to parents or carers.
- Safeguarding and welfare requirements outlining actions to keep children safe and promote their welfare
The prime areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and thriving. The table below shows you how the prime and specific areas are broken down and will be recorded on your child’s learning journal.
| The Prime Areas of Learning | |||||
| Communication and Language | Physical Development | Personal, Social and Emotional Development | |||
| Specific Areas of Learning | |||||
| Literacy | Mathematics | Understanding the World | Expressive Art and Design | ||
What does this mean for our setting?
Our team is responsible for supporting children in four specific areas, where the three prime areas are reinforced and applied. These specific areas include:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
The EYFS Framework outlines the ‘Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning’, which emphasise the need for our practitioners to take into account the varying rates at which children develop and adjust their teaching methods accordingly.
Key characteristics of effective teaching and learning encompass:
- Playing and exploring: where children investigate, experience, and try things out
- Active learning: where children focus, persist through challenges, and relish accomplishments
- Creating and thinking critically: where children form their own ideas, draw connections between concepts, and devise strategies for tasks.