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Early Years Foundation Stage

Early childhood is the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. At Grimsdell we greatly value the importance of the EYFS and view it as both a preparation for and a part of life; celebrating childhood itself.

‘Early Years’ encompasses all children in our Nursery and Reception classes.

We believe that children learn in a variety of ways; through their senses, through investigation, experimentation, listening, watching, social interaction, questioning and exploring.

A safe, secure environment is provided for the children in which to interact and explore rich and diverse learning opportunities.

During their time in the Early Years classes, all children are given the opportunity to gain independence, constructive feedback and a positive self-image. They develop skills and understanding of the world around them through a range of planned activities both in and out of the classroom, broadening what they know and deepening their understanding.

Early Years Principles

There are four main principles in the EYFS.

  • Every child is unique
  • Children learn to be independent through positive relationships
  • Children learn and develop well in enabling environments
  • Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates

The EYFS is split into seven areas of learning and development.

Three Prime areas- Personal, social and emotional development, Physical development, Communication and Language.

Four specific areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, Expressive Arts and Design.

The characteristics of effective learning that underpin all of these seven areas are:

  • Playing and Exploring – finding out and being willing to have a go.
  • Active Learning – being an active learner, getting involved, concentrating and keep trying.
  • Creating and Thinking Critically- having their own ideas and choosing ways to do things.

Throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage, the children will work towards achieving the 17 Early Learning Goals. Please see the areas of learning to find out more about these goals.

When you start at Grimsdell, parents are invited to a ‘Welcome Evening’ where you will meet your class teacher/keyworker, there will be a talk and you will see your classroom. Later in the summer term your child will be invited to a ‘Getting to Know You’ session where they can become familiar with the class environment and get to know the adults who will be working with them.  In September the children will come in on their first day at staggered intervals to allow us time to settle all the children.

Throughout your time at Grimsdell, a link to our website and weekly newsletter will be emailed to you. This is intended to keep you informed of your child’s weekly activities and learning. We encourage you to build up a unique relationship with your child’s teacher so that together, we can enable your child to fulfil their potential and give them the opportunity to make the most of their talents and abilities. We know that children thrive best when they feel happy, safe and secure.

In the Autumn and Spring Terms, you will be invited to discuss your child’s progress. A summary of their development will be discussed with you and how you can support their learning at home. Your child’s records are available for you to view throughout the school year. Observations are recorded using an on line journal which parents can access and contribute to, parents are also invited in to school every Friday to view their child’s work in the classroom. We encourage parents to share information with us so that we can build up a well-rounded picture of your child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities as an individual within the setting.

At the end of the Autumn term you will receive a written report outlining the points discussed in parent consultations. In the final term, you will receive a report on your child’s progress, including information from his or her EYFS Profile, progress against expected levels of development and their readiness for Year 1. An opportunity to discuss this in person with the class teacher is also provided.

Most importantly, we want you and your child to enjoy our school as much as we do and become part of the Grimsdell family.