Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Forest school Outdoor learning Learning through stories Being in our community Family collaboration
Every child deserves the best start in life to enable them to fulfil their potential.
At Fonthill we provide an exciting curriculum that follows the EYFS Framework [2020]. Within this framework there are 4 guiding principles that shape our practice.
These are:
1. Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
2. Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
3. Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
4. 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).
Our curriculum encompasses the seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.
Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and thriving.
These are called the prime areas:
• communication and language
• physical development
• personal, social, and emotional development.
Four areas help children to strengthen and apply the prime areas.
These are called the specific areas:
- Literacy
- Maths
- Understanding of the world
- Expressive arts and design
Throughout Early Years our children partake in an ambitious curriculum which is designed in a sequential way to ensure progress towards the end of reception goals. These goals are defined as Early Learning Goals (ELGs).
In our Early Years, we follow the CUSP Early Foundations curriculum, which provides a carefully structured and engaging start to children’s learning journey. Our approach is built around three key pillars: Foundational Knowledge, Structured Storytime, and Opportunities and Experiences.
We place a strong emphasis on building the knowledge and skills children need to succeed. Foundational knowledge is carefully planned and sequenced so that children develop understanding over time. Key ideas and vocabulary are taught explicitly and revisited regularly, helping children to build secure foundations for future learning.
Stories are at the heart of our EYFS curriculum. Through Structured Storytime, children are introduced to a rich range of high-quality texts, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and songs. These stories are used to deepen understanding, introduce new vocabulary and develop children’s communication and language skills. Children take part in storytelling through talk, role play and performance, helping them to become confident communicators.
Learning is brought to life through a wide range of opportunities and experiences. Our provision is carefully designed to enable children to explore, practise and apply what they have been taught through both guided activities and independent play. Adults skilfully support children to make connections, use new vocabulary and extend their thinking.
We ensure that all areas of learning are covered through a balance of adult-led teaching and child-initiated exploration. Phonics, early mathematics and physical development are all taught explicitly, while the environment enables children to revisit and apply their learning in meaningful ways.
Our curriculum is responsive to the needs of each cohort, allowing us to adapt learning while maintaining a clear structure and progression. We use visual prompts and resources within the environment to support children’s independence and help them to recall and build on prior learning.
Our aim in the Early Years is to nurture curious, confident and capable learners who are well-prepared for the transition into Key Stage 1. We create a warm, purposeful environment where every child feels valued and inspired to learn.
