Early Years Curriculum
The Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards for the teaching, learning and development of children from birth to 5 years.
EYFS Curriculum Overview and progression of skills 2026
Intent:
Our aim is to provide every child with a high-quality early education alongside exceptional care. We create a safe, nurturing environment that supports each child’s unique needs and makes a meaningful contribution to their wellbeing, development, and learning.
Play, both indoors and outdoors, is rich and meaningful, and we strive to ignite children’s curiosity and inspire a sense of awe and wonder about the world around them. We provide a stimulating environment filled with exciting opportunities that encourage challenge, exploration, adventure, and inclusion. Our aim is to nurture a genuine love of learning, enabling every child to experience success, confidence, and happiness.
Every child is recognised as a unique and wonderful individual, bringing a diverse range of experiences and starting points. We celebrate and welcome these differences within our school community and work closely with parents and carers to nurture independent, happy learners. Together, we support every child to thrive in school and reach their full potential from their individual starting points.
The ability to learn is built upon the teaching of essential skills, knowledge, concepts, and values. We provide enriching opportunities that enhance learning and encourage curiosity. We believe that children’s first experiences of school should be happy and positive, helping to nurture confidence and a lifelong love of learning.
Implementation:
Using the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and guided by the Development Matters document, we plan a broad and balanced curriculum to cover all 7 Areas of Learning whilst keeping the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning at the forefront. We use adaptive teaching strategies to support all children and we have high ambition for all.
The characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:
- 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 their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things Statutory framework for the EYFS
Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). All children have the same learning opportunities as each other.
Children learn through play, by adults modelling, by observing each other, and through guided learning and direct teaching. All areas of the EYFS curriculum are followed and planned for to ensure there is a broad, balanced and progressive learning environment and curriculum. The children will learn new skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate understanding through the seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.
- Prime Areas: Specific Areas:
- Communication and Language - Literacy
- Physical Development - Mathematics
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development - Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
The practice and principles of continuous provision begin in EYFS and support children in developing essential life skills. Through this approach, children build independence while also fostering innovation, creativity, enquiry, analysis, and problem-solving skills. Children have the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively with their friends and members of staff. Daily activities allow children to develop their next steps in learning, which are guided by observation and discussion in order to ensure good progress is made. Staff observations are recorded on Tapestry to showcase the children’s learning and communicate their progress and development. We also use the observations to determine which interventions are required for groups or individuals.
The term before children start Nursery, they are able to visit the setting with their parents so that the transition is as smooth as possible. We allow parents to enter the classroom until their child is ready to come into Nursery independently. During the first half term, all staff use ongoing assessments, observations and conversations with the child and parents to develop a baseline assessment. This identifies each individual’s starting points in all areas so we can plan experiences to ensure progress.
We use the Communication and Language toolkit Wellcomm in Nursery to assess all children upon arrival. Daily interventions are therefore implemented until the child has met the relevant progression points. In Reception the RBA (Statutory Reception Baseline Assessment) is completed which focuses on Language, Communication and Literacy, and Mathematics. We use the Read, Write, Inc, phonics scheme and NCETM to guide our maths learning. Phonics and maths assessments are carried out on a termly basis which informs us of any children who may not be making expected progress and are therefore at risk of falling behind.
In Summer Term 2 of the Reception year, the EYFSP (Early Years Foundation Stage Profile) is completed where teachers judge whether the child has met each of the ELGs (Early Learning Goals). They will be either ‘emerging’ or ‘expected, and this will be recorded with the Local Authority and passed onto the Year 1 teacher in order to encourage a smooth transition.
birth to 5 matters
DfE Development Matters Report
Impact
The EYFS provide:
• Quality and consistency, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind
• A secure foundation through planning for the learning and development of each individual child, and assessing and reviewing what they have learned regularly
• Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers
• Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported
The curriculum is flexible, ambitious, and carefully sequenced to support children’s learning and development. Adults scaffold children’s learning by modelling new skills and providing just enough support to help them achieve what they may not yet be able to do independently. A strong emphasis is placed on introducing and exploring new vocabulary, while stimulating experiences help to develop and strengthen children’s communication skills.
Focusing on the Prime Areas of learning, we build on what children already know and can do, recognising their individual strengths and starting points. We believe that every child can make progress when they are given the right support and opportunities to succeed. When we give every child the best start in their early years, we give them what they need for lifelong learning.