Two girls sat at a desk in the early years classroom
A young boy doing water play in the early years playground
Two girls doing water play in the early years playground
Three young boys sat on the floor, one gives the other a big hug
Teacher and her early years pupils sat on the carpet teaching and learning

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework is a government document that all schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers in England must follow. It sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old. The standards ensure that children will learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.

Prime and Specific Areas of Learning

The EYFS framework outlines seven areas of learning and development. There are three prime areas of learning, which are particularly important for your child’s development and future learning: Communication and Language; Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development.

There are four specific areas of learning, through which the prime areas are strengthened and applied: Mathematics, Literacy, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning

The EYFS framework identifies the essential role of play in your child’s development. It is through both child-led play and play guided by an adult that your child will develop confidence and relationships with others. Through play, our Early Years’ Team will help your child to extend their vocabulary and develop their communication skills. The EYFS framework identifies three characteristics of effective teaching and learning: Playing and Exploring, Active Learning and Creating and Thinking Critically. 

At Cononley, our EYFS Reception curriculum is coherent with clear intentions carefully planned to ensure cumulative skills and knowledge are gained throughout the Reception year to equip each child for their leaning journey at Cononley Primary School. By the end of the Reception year we ensure that all children make at least good progress from their starting points and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year 1.  

Our enabling environments and warm, skilful adult interactions support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration right from the start. We believe that high level engagement ensures high level attainment. Exciting, purposeful and contextual activities are planned to build on children’s natural curiosity. We have an extensive range of resources, many of which are open ended and enhance continuous provision to match topic or fascinations and interests.  

We provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences through direct teaching and provision enhancements. We promote the development of each unique child by ensuring we offer regular opportunities for extended periods of play and sustained thinking and endeavour to follow children’s interests and ideas to foster a lifelong love of learning both indoors and outdoors. High priority is given to such uninterrupted child initiated play during our afternoon sessions. 

Please click the links below to read more about Early Years Foundation Stage at Cononley Primary School.