The Early Years Foundation Stage

At Brookwood Primary School we believe that every child should be given opportunities that give them the best possible start, preparing them for life in school, now and in the future. We aim to provide children with experiences which will enable them to be happy, secure and confident as they grow.

Children in Reception follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. There are seven areas of learning:

The Prime Areas (these are particularly important for your child's development and future learning) –

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) – Self Regulation, Managing Self, Building Relationships
• Communication and Language (CL) – Listening, Attention and Understanding, Speaking

• Physical Development (PD) – Gross Motor Skills, Fine Motor Skills

The Specific Areas (the prime areas are strengthened and applied through these areas) –

• Literacy - Comprehension, Word Reading, Comprehension
• Mathematics – Number, Numerical Patterns
• Understanding The World – Past and Present, People, Culture and Communities, The Natural World
• Expressive Arts and Design – Creating with Materials, Being Imaginative and Expressive

The EYFS framework identifies the essential role of play in your child’s development. It is through both child-led play and play guided by an adult that your child will develop confidence and relationships with others. Through play, EYFS practitioners will help your child to extend their vocabulary and develop their communication skills. The EYFS framework identifies three characteristics of effective teaching and learning:

• Playing and Exploring
• Active Learning
• Creating and Thinking Critically

As your child progresses through their Reception year, there will be a greater focus on teaching specific skills which will help them to prepare for Year One.

We carefully assess children during their time with us, and regularly review their progress to ensure that our planned activities are meeting their needs. We use Tapestry to capture children’s individual achievements; these are shared with parents and carers and we encourage families to use this platform to share with us their children’s achievements outside the school environment.

We use Birth to Five Matters as a resource to support our curriculum.

B25M Parent Leaflet A5 4pp art.indd (birthto5matters.org.uk)