Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Aims:

At St Gerard’s Catholic Primary & Nursery School we aim to give each child a positive and meaningful start to their school life, in which they can establish solid foundations on which to develop into independent and fearless lifelong learners.

We will encourage children to develop independence within our secure and friendly atmosphere; to support children in building relationships through the development of social skills such as cooperation and sharing; to help each child to recognise their own strengths and achievements through experiencing success and by developing the confidence to work towards personal goals. 

Our high expectations will enable each child to develop socially, physically, intellectually and emotionally and to achieve their full potential. We will offer a structure for learning that has a range of starting points and unlimited availability for development through a wide range of new and exciting first-hand experiences that will give children the opportunity to consolidate, explore and test their skills, knowledge and understanding alongside existing experiences. We will ensure that children are kept healthy and safe and that they achieve the knowledge and skills they need to start school.

At St Gerard’s Catholic Primary & Nursery School we aim to:

• Provide an atmosphere where children can be happy, contented, safe, valued, gain confidence and achieve greater independence.
• Provide a child-friendly environment that is safe, caring and stimulating.
• Provide an environment where no child should be excluded or disadvantaged.
• Build upon what children already know and what they can do.
• Promote children’s social, intellectual and physical development through play and directed activities.
• Provide, through a stimulating environment, opportunities for the child to develop a positive attitude to learning and an active interest in the world around them.
• Develop a working partnership between parents/carers and the school in order to establish an accurate understanding of each child’s individual needs.
• Work within the guidelines of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

EYFS at St Gerard's:

Nursery:

Reception

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)?

“Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.”

(The Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework 2021)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

The EYFS seeks to provide:

• quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind.
• a secure foundation through learning and development opportunities which are planned around the needs and interests of each individual child and are assessed and reviewed 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.

All schools and Ofsted-registered early years’ providers must follow the EYFS, including childminders, preschools, nurseries and school reception classes.

At St Gerard’s Catholic Primary & Nursery School, we greatly value the important role that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) plays in laying secure foundations for future learning and development. We also believe early childhood is valid in itself, as part of life and therefore it is important to view the EYFS as preparation for life and not simply preparation for the next stage of education.

We are committed to our strong links with the parish and the Catholic community and strive to enrich pupils’ religious, spiritual, moral and social education from Nursery to Year 6. We are renowned, not just locally, but in the wider world for its caring attitude to all children. The Catholic faith and the living out of the Gospel values are central to school life.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a statutory framework for children from birth to five years of age. The final year of the EYFS is referred to as Reception. Within Nursery and Reception the children will be tracked and assessed using the updated ‘Early Years Outcomes’ document and then will be assessed at the end of the academic year using the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP). This information is collated by the school leaders and sent to the Local Authority to monitor school and children’s performance.

We acknowledge that all children begin school with a variety of experiences and learning. It is the role of the practitioners working in the Foundation Stage, with support of parents, to build upon the children’s prior learning and life experiences. This is done through a holistic approach, ensuring that parents/carers, support staff and teachers work effectively in partnership to support children’s learning and development.

Our Early Years Leader is: Mrs Tickle

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