The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum (DfES, 2007) marks a significant point in the development of childcare provision in England. It ends the previous distinction between education and care, and brings together the concepts of welfare and curriculum.
This unified approach ensures consistency in terms of children’s care and learning (within Ofsted-registered settings) and means that parents can be reassured about the quality of the provision which their children receive. The EYFS also determines how schools organise the learning and development of their youngest pupils.
Getting Ready for School
Some form of familiarisation would normally take place prior to children moving to a new school, so that they already have some idea of what to expect. This might consist of preliminary visits to stay and play or be given a tour of the facilities. These visits can be extremely helpful for families and children, reducing fear of the unknown and providing the opportunity to meet other children, teachers and support staff.
Home visits may be less frequent these days, but settings are encouraged to hand over records (such as EYFS profile documents) so that staff can share relevant information about the children in their care.
Learning Through Play
The EYFS puts great emphasis on learning through play, with a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. Statutory schooling no longer means “formal” lessons. Early years classrooms, children’s centres and nurseries are likely to be organised so that children can move around freely, selecting activities for themselves and pursuing independent learning.
Settings may appear very informal with “bays” or huddles of tables and chairs rather than rows of desks, but rooms will still be organised in a structured way and are likely to contain the following areas:
- Sand, water and investigation
- Creative or “messy” activities (paint, modelling, collage etc.)
- Mark-making
- Maths
- Story or book corner (songs, music, rhymes, puppets etc.)
- Large and small construction (wooden blocks, Lego, train track, Meccano etc.)
- Role-play (dressing-up clothes, props and artifacts to stimulate imaginative play)
- IT (computers, digital cameras, CD players etc.)
- Access to a safe but stimulating outside space.
Role of the Adults in School
Rather than following the traditional model of a teacher leading a class, early years practitioners tend to work in teams nowadays, with shared responsibility for supporting activities. Many settings use a “key worker” system which enables adults to focus their attention on a particular group of children. This helps children to develop a firm attachment (bond) and settle. It also enables practitioners to share responsibility for assessment and record-keeping.
Settings that use the key worker system would introduce new children to their key adult on the first day, and this person would focus on supporting their particular group of children during the settling-in process and thereafter.
As well as supporting children in their chosen activities and extending play, adults also plan guided activities and invite children to participate in these. Such activities may be linked to any of the six areas of learning and development in the EYFS, namely:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication, Language and Literacy
- Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
- Knowledge and Understanding of the World
- Creative Development
- Physical Development.
Free-flow Activities
One characteristic of early years settings is that of free-flow activities or continuous provision. This means that children have access to a range of activities or resources and can take responsibility for making choices and directing their own time, thereby developing confidence and independence.
Children who are not used to being in an environment which encourages this kind of autonomy can find it unsettling at first and may need a parent or key worker’s assistance. It may also seem too “busy” for shy children and they may not be ready to join in straightaway. This is perfectly normal – remember that every child is an individual who will develop at his or her own pace. Good early years settings recognise this fact and strive to meet the needs of all children right from the outset.
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