Red Bus Nursery
Offering the British Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
EYFs
EARLY YEAR FOUNDATION STAGE CURRICULUM
The EYFS aims to provide:
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Quality and consistency in all early years settings
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A secure foundation that will allow all children good progress through school and life
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Partnerships between different practitioners
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Partnerships between parents or carers and practitioners
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Equal opportunities for all children
There are four overarching principles which shape practice in early years settings:
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Every child is a unique child
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Every child develops strength and independence through positive relationships
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Children learn in enabling environments
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Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates
EYFS SEVEN AREAS
The EYFS states seven areas of learning and development, which are all interlinked and important to the child’s individual learning and development. The first three, the ‘prime areas’, are of most importance, as these ignite children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.The other 4 areas, the ‘specific areas’, are also supported by the prime areas
To support these seven areas of learning and development, we provide activities and experiences, according to the correct age and stage of the children. Here are some examples:
Mark Making
Book Corner/Library
Malleable Play
Painting
Group Activities
Creating
Outdoor Play
Treasure Baskets
Sand and Water
Fine Manipulative Play
Construction
Role Play
Circle Time
WHAT IS FOUNDATION STAGE
The British Curriculum Foundation Stage is for children aged three to five The UAE Ministry of Education only allows children in licensed nurseries until age 4, so this class prepares your child for school. This very important stage of education has been given a distinct identity. It sets out learning experiences which establish expectations for children to have experienced by the end of the Foundation Stage 2 year.
“For young children – when they play – it is their work.
Through working in this way children learn to:
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Make sense of the world around them.
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Develop a better understanding of themselves.
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Form relationships with others.”
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Opportunities are provided for each child to work alone and also in small and large groups. Children need a safe and reassuring environment to learn and explore in. We will be working on developing a sense of belonging and encouraging each child to respect themselves and others. The children will be taught to become independent; feeding themselves, taking care of their own toileting needs and accessing resources by themselves. Role play is particularly important in developing this area and we will provide opportunities to learn through role play, in for example, a house, an opticians, a doctor’s surgery etc. Personal, social and emotional skills are developed on a daily basis in everything that your child does and is vital in your child’s overall development; this is why it is called a prime area.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
We will develop each child’s physical skills through a range of activities during outdoor play and within the classroom. The children will be encouraged to move confidently and to experiment with movement to develop new skills. The children will have opportunities to use small and large equipment and to manipulate tools with increasing control. Activities in the classroom will be designed to develop fine motor control and gross motor development will take place mostly outdoors. It is essential that each child practice their gross and fine motor skills so that they can access learning in all areas of the curriculum.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
Communication and language development takes place in planned activities for each area of learning. Your child will be encouraged to communicate their thoughts, ideas and feelings and build relationships with adults and each other. We shall continue to link language with movement using action songs and rhymes, role play and other practical experiences. Being able to communicate is of utmost importance and this is why at Red Bus Nursery we make this our first priority. Once children are comfortable in their skills for listening, understanding and speaking they will be able to move on to writing and reading.
LITERACY
We shall be introducing the children to phonics. Many opportunities are planned to develop your child’s pencil control and to develop their emergent writing skills which, linked to their growing phonetic knowledge, will enable them to be confident to write independently. Your child will be exposed to a variety of books through which we aim to foster a love for reading and writing.
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD
Our topics will provide the focus for much of your child’s learning in this area. We shall be looking at similarities and differences between us, noticing changes from when we were babies to the present time, talking about significant things that have happened and recalling past events. We will provide opportunities for each child to use construction kits and plan and design using reclaimed materials. This area aims to allow the child to explore the world that surrounds them, from the different animals we see, to the seasons.
EXPRESSIVE ARTS AND DESIGN
Each child will be encouraged to develop their imagination and creativity through a range of independent and adult focused activities including music, dance, role play, art and design and small world play. They will have regular opportunities to experiment with colours and textures using the art, collage and malleable materials constantly available to them. They will have opportunities to experiment with sounds, move to music and build a repertoire of songs during music lessons taught by a specialist music teacher as well as in class. Each child will be encouraged to design and make things using a range of materials, learning how to join materials together and to make choices about suitable materials.
MATHEMATICS
We will develop each child’s mathematical knowledge and understanding through a variety of practical games and experiences in all areas of the classroom. We will be working with numbers, counting, sorting and developing knowledge of the mathematical vocabulary needed to compare numbers, describe shapes and use measurement.
Assessments, Record Keeping and Learning Journeys
Learning Journeys are a collection of observations and assessments and the evidence to support this, including artwork, photos, mark-making etc. All these documents are linked with the EYFS and branch over all of the areas of learning. The aim of a learning journey is to create a unique picture of your child’s development, what they know and feel they can achieve, and the child’s individual learning style. The Learning Journey can be used to further planning for activities that will motivate and be relevant to the child. It also enables us to see what your child has achieved over a period of time.
Observations and assessments are an on-going process at our nursery, in accordance with the EYFS. These ensure we plan activities that are age and stage appropriate, for all the children in the group and to each child’s individual needs.
A final summary of these assessments will be compiled at the end of each term, to see how each child has progressed in all areas of the EYFS. There will also be optional parent/teacher consultations, at the end of each term, in addition to regular informal chats and email correspondence, to allow discussion about your child and their learning and development.
The EYFS framework sets the standards for the learning, development and care of young children from the ages of 0-5. Our teachers use the EYFS’s principled approach to assessment, record keeping and demonstrating progress. The EYFS emphasizes the importance of effective practice and as the means by which the next steps in young children’s learning are identified. We plan, observe and assess the children in the different 7 areas of learning and ensure that this underpins the themes of the EYFS; A Unique Child, Positive Relationships, A Positive Environment and Learning and Developing.
Upon registration, parents will be asked to fill in a questionnaire about their own child’s development. The questionnaire will be used to give the child’s key worker (teacher) an insight into the child’s current development. The child will then go through an initial assessment (within the first few weeks of joining our nursery) that will be the start of their Learning Journey.
