THE EYFS CURRICULUM
The Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework sets out key areas of learning and development for children (July 2025).
Learning and development is categorised into three prime areas of learning within which the Early Learning Goals (ELG) can be found.
- Communication and language (ELG Listening, Attention and Understanding and ELG Speaking)
- Personal, social and emotional development (ELG Self-regulation, ELG Managing Self and ELG Building Relationships)
- Physical Development (ELG Gross Motor Skills and ELG Fine Motor Skills)
Additionally there are four specific areas of learning:
- Literacy (ELG Comprehension, ELG Word Reading and ELG Writing)
- Mathematics (ELG Number and ELG Numerical Patterns)
- Understanding the world (ELG Past and Present, ELG People, Culture and Communities and ELG The Natural World)
- Expressive arts and design (ELG Creating with Materials and ELG Being Imaginative and Expressive)
Phonics
The development of early reading fluency is the foundation stone for learning; Year R is a reading rich environment with plenty of opportunties to explore and enjoy books both independently and with adults.
Discreet phonics sessions are delivered daily as soon as all children are full time; the duration of these sessions lengthen as the year progresses. We use the DfE validated scheme (Flying Start with Letters and Sounds) for all phonic sessions. More information about the teaching of phonics can be found on the website under Curriculum / English: Phonics.
Our curriculum is also informed by evidence from current research publications in early years education, including Strong Foundations in the First Years of School (October 24), Bold Beginnings (2017) and Best Start in Life (2022). Key findings are regularly discussed in staff team meetings and built into our St.Finian's EYFS delivery model.
In Year R, our EcAT programme (Every Child a Talker) supports the precise tracking of speech and language development in individual pupils- ensuring any gaps are quickly identified and supported at this crucial stage in their learning.
ChARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING
- Playing and exploring: children investigate and experience things, and 'have a go'
- Active learning: children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements
- Creating and thinking critically: children have and develop thier own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things
THE three 'M'S
In EYFS, we maximise the amount of time that children are actively engaged in learning and play; we use a successful early years model that uses the power of play and magic of childhood to engage children and put them at the heart of their learning (for more information, see... www.canigoandplaynow.com). We are particularly inspired by the work of renowned early years practitioner - Greg Bottril.
This philosophy follows the principles of the ‘3 Ms’ to facilitate learning by:
- Making Conversation
- Mark Making
- Mathematics
MAKING CONVERSATION
Through 'Making Conversation', we facilitate high-quality talk throughout the EYFS setting, in the following ways...
- Adult to Child Chat - facillitating conversations with all children to develop their language and communiction skills
- Child to Child Chat - enabling conversations between children through access to talk friendly spaces in the environment, inluding dens, seating areas and a cosy reading corner
- Access to Vocabulary - exploring and extending vocabulary through regular reading and book talk as well as poetry and story telling
- Commentary Play - adults narrate what they or children are doing during play
MARK MAKING
This ‘M’ incorporates reading and writing. We carefully plan opportunities to introduce writing or mark making into play.
Below are some of the ways we do this:
- Mark making opportunities in all areas, for example shopping lists in cooking area, labelling in construction area and painting in the art area.
- Using a variety of materials – chalk, paint brushes, pens, choice of paper, vertical surfaces etc.
- Message Centre – encouraging mark making and written communication without worrying about ‘getting it right’ or calling it a ‘writing or drawing area.
- Opportunities to practise skills taught in discreet phonics sessions
MATHEMATICS
Early Maths, including crucial mathematical vocabulary, is learnt through carefully planned opportunities built into the indoor and outdoor learning environments. Examples include:
- Construction - shape, position, ordering.
- Cooking - weighing, counting, number recognition.
- The outside environment - shapes, ordering, weighing, comparing, position, counting, number recognition.
Through the 3 'M's, children develop crucial muscle and movement skills (vital aspects of the EYFS curriculum), for example- developing fine motor control precedes the ability to hold a pencil and form letters. We encourage children to be physically active throughout the day facilitated through our extensive outdoor environment, allowing children to balance, climb, dig, travel up and down slopes and lift heavy items.