Curriculum

Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

The national curriculum- EYFS 

The department of Education has issued a statutory Framework for Nursery settings, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The framework sets out the legal requirements for the care of young children relating to Learning, Development and Welfare. These are important areas all parents need to be comfortable with before choosing any type of childcare for their young children.

Parents at the Red House have told us they like to be kept informed on the EYFS as the framework not only provides legal requirements, but also structure around the four key areas of learning and development as well as focus in helping young children achieve their full potential.

The EYFS framework sets the UK standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. The curriculum is built around four principles:

1. A Unique Child
2. Positive Relationships
3. Enabling Environments
4. Learning and Development

The Red House Nursery has the benefit of Sam the nursery owner  working on site, who is a qualified Primary School Teacher and has experience of working in a classroom as well as in a school nursery. We also have our manager Sarah who has her degree in early childhood studies and has over nineteen years experience working in early years setting and a nursery school environment.

Parents are kept informed of the development of their child’s progress within the four principles the EYFS framework through regular interactions with your child’s key person in the form of parents evenings, daily handover discussions and using our online observations via our online platform for observations Tapestry.

We hope you will see a connection with the EYFS framework with some of the other information we have tried to articulate on other pages on our web site, through our activities, our approach which is in the moment planning and using the birth to five matters guidance. At the Red House our main focus is  the safety and wellbeing of each child.

To give you a basic understand of the four principles, we have attempted to explain them below:

1.    A Unique Child
At the Red House we focus on how children develop; we recognise they are all different, but should be treated equally. Positive relationships and good communication are vital. Children need to learn about risks and safety, how to make good choices and how to stick to boundaries. We make every attempt to provide full opportunity for each child to do their best and we achieve this by ensuring their physical and emotional needs are met during their time at our nursery setting.

2.    Positive Relationships
The theme is about children learning to manage their feelings and build relationships. We respect all kinds of families and aim to develop a positive two-way relationship with parents. We will support, listen and work with the children at The Red House to help them learn. We have a nominated key carer for each child at the Red House to ensure each child has the opportunity of building a close relationship and is well monitored during their time with us.

3.    Enabling Environments
We plan and check on each child’s progress and make every attempt to involve parents and the local community. We ensure that inside and outside spaces of the nursery are safe, interesting and engaging. Our carers support children when they move on, working as a team to help children succeed.

4.    Learning and Development
The Red House focuses on ensuring young children learn through play and exploration, with support for each individual. We encourage children to develop imagination, to get actively involved in learning and to make decisions. We make every attempt to develop children’s creative and critical thinking, balancing the need for both the children and adults to lead the learning.

We work towards the following specific goals to help us all work within the framework:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development- Personal, social and emotional development is fundamental to all aspects of lifelong development and learning, it is the key to a child’s wellbeing and resilience. For children to flourish we need to pay attention to how they understand and feel about themselves, and how secure they feel in close relationships. We need to build a child’s self image, their emotional understanding and the quality of their relationships this can affect their self confidence, their potential to experience joy, be curious about their world and to face any problems in their lives.
• Communication, Language- Communication and language development is closely intertwined with personal, social and emotional development experiences. Language is more than words, as children grow they begin to be more aware of different sounds, symbols and words in their everyday world- a language rich environment is crucial. A child’s first language is the root to learning additional languages this is why at the Red House we encourage our English as an additional language to bring their home language into nursery to strengthen and support children’s language as they begin to enjoy new environments.
• Physical Development- Physical development underpins all other areas of a child’s learning and development, each child’s journey relies on whole body physical experiences, while biologically programmed the unfolding of this complex and interconnected system requires repeated movement that is self- initiated and wide ranging. Fine and gross motor skills must develop together in an integrated way so the child can achieve what they set out to do. Health and well-being including self care are integral to physical development.
• Literacy- Literacy is about understanding and also being understood, early literacy skills are rooted in a child’s enjoyable experiences from birth through gesturing, talking, singing, playing and reading and eventually writing. Developing literacy competence and skills is a complex and challenging journey but very much rewarding. Literacy is engaging, purposeful and creative.
• Mathematics- Mathematics for young children involves developing their own understanding of number, quantity, shape and space. Babies and young children have a natural interest in quantities and spatial relations they are problem solvers, pattern spotters and sense makers from birth. Effective early mathematics experiences involve seeking patterns, creating and solving mathematical problems and engaging with stories, songs, games and practical and imaginative play.
• Understanding of the world- Understanding of the world provides a powerful, meaningful context for learning across the curriculum, it supports children to make sense of their expanding world and their place within it through nurturing their wonder, curiosity and drive. This development requires regular direct contact with the natural, built and virtual environments around the child. Children need to learn about the world around them this is done at the Red House through ensuring our children have a sound knowledge of British values and cultural capital is done effectivity throughout the setting.
• Expressive arts and design- Children and adults have the right to participate in arts and culture, expression conveys both thinking of ideas and feeling ideas. Children use a variety of ways to express and communicate through music, movement and a wider range of materials. Expressive arts and design fosters imagination, curiosity, creativity, cognition and provides opportunities to improvise, collaborate and engage in sustained thinking. – “Birth to five matters – Guidance by the sector for the sector -Early years Coalition- Early education 2021”. 
• Welfare and safeguarding- ensuring we are all aware of our responsibility for children’s welfare. We will look after your child properly and help them to stay healthy. We also ensure the Red House is a safe and positive place for children.

In this section of our web site, we have tried to summarise the main points in the EYFS framework, however please take a look at Statutory framework published by Department of education Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (publishing.service.gov.uk)

We also have enclosed our non statutory guidance Birth To 5 Matters – Guidance by the sector, for the sector this is the framework we use to ensure our children gain the most developmental while at the Red House nursery.