At Boringdon Primary school we want children to have a happy, positive start to school which develops their confidence, independence and ensures that they have a real thirst for learning. We recognise the importance that EYFS plays in securing foundations for future learning and development. 

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is how the government defines the time in a child’s life from birth to five years of age. At the heart of the EYFS is the principle that young children need to play, and more importantly the skills they learn through play which will prepare them for their transition to Year 1.

Our aim is to ensure we provide a rich and stimulating learning environment both indoors and outdoors with new first-hand experiences that challenge the children to explore and be curious about the world around them. During child-initiated activities the interaction between the adult and child is essential in scaffolding their learning. The adult’s role is to observe and skilfully know when to facilitate interactions that will allow children to develop dialogue which will acquire new learning and extend their thinking.

There are seven areas of learning and development that shape the EYFS curriculum. All the areas are important as they are all interconnected.  The seven areas are split into three Prime areas and four Specific areas.

The Prime areas are vital as they underpin the foundations to which all the other areas of the curriculum can develop.

The three Prime areas are:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development

The four Specific areas are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

 When planning and developing children’s activities, we consider the different ways in which children learn and incorporate the three Characteristics of effective Teaching and Learning into our practice. We strive to ensure that children become independent, creative, critical and reflective learners.

We are keen to ensure that children acquire the maths knowledge which is essential in building strong foundations for their educational journey and when they transition into Year 1 and the National Curriculum. We follow the White Rose Education Maths scheme and NCETM Maths Mastery (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics). The children learn about numbers, counting, problem solving, pattern, shape and special reasoning through fun games and activities which builds a positive attitude towards maths and the children develop mathematical skills through following a well-planned developmental progression. Children engage with fun, inspiring maths activities in continuous provision which help children to explore mathematics in meaningful ways and develop the core maths skills that make up the early years curriculum.

We want all of our children to become fluent, confident readers who develop a life-long love of reading and writing. We use Read Write Inc Phonics (RWI) to give your child the best possible start with their literacy. In Foundation, the children have a daily phonics lesson where they start to learn the set 1 sounds. We want your child to love reading – and to want to read for themselves.