Early Years Guidance.pdf

The EYFS aims to support children's development, ensuring they have the best possible start in life. The framework is based on four themes:

1. A Unique Child: Every child is unique and constantly learning, with the right to develop their personality, talents, and abilities.
2. Positive Relationships: Children learn through positive relationships, which are warm, loving, sensitive, and responsive to their needs.
3. Enabling Environments: Enabling environments value all people, learning, and provide stimulating resources and rich learning opportunities.
4. Learning and Development: Children develop and learn in different ways, and practitioners teach by ensuring challenging and playful opportunities.

Key Principles

Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
Children learn and develop well in enabling environments.
Development is not an automatic process and depends on opportunities to interact in positive relationships and enabling environments.

Assessment and Planning

On-going formative assessment is at the heart of effective early years practice.
Practitioners observe children, assess progress, plan for next steps, and support children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture.
Summative assessment reviews children's progress and shares a summary with parents at two points: between 24-36 months and at the end of the EYFS.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Playing and exploring
Active learning
Creating and thinking critically

Areas of Learning and Development

Prime areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Physical Development
Specific areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, Expressive Arts and Design

Practice

Practitioners understand and observe each child's development and learning, assess progress, and plan for next steps.
Practitioners support babies and children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture.
* Practitioners identify any need for additional support and keep children safe.