The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Lead: Hannah Carrington
Pre-School Manager: Bethany Goodright
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Charing CE Primary School, our intent is to provide a rich, stimulating curriculum that establishes the foundations for lifelong learning. We recognise that children learn best when they are nurtured to develop curiosity, independence, resilience, and a positive attitude towards challenge. Our curriculum is underpinned by the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the non-statutory document Development Matters, which sets the standards for learning, development, and care to ensure that all children are given the best possible start to their education.
In EYFS, pupils learning is underpinned by ‘The Characteristics of Effective Learning’ through three areas; playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically. These areas support the children in investigating and experiencing things hands on and focus on how children engage with their environment and interact with others to become motivated and effective learners. These principles inform our implementation, ensuring that teaching and provision support children to become confident, motivated, and reflective learners.
The curriculum in EYFS is organised across the seven areas of learning and development, which together provide a broad and balanced foundation for future progress. The Prime Areas – Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development – are fundamental to a child’s capacity to learn and build relationships. The Specific Areas – Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts and Design – strengthen and extend the prime areas, equipping children with essential knowledge and skills for the next stages of their education.
Our approach to implementation combines direct teaching, purposeful play, and high-quality continuous provision. Practitioners skilfully scaffold, model, and extend learning, building on what each child already knows and can do. This ensures that children make sustained progress across all areas of development while also developing positive attitudes and dispositions towards learning. Further details about our approach to teaching and learning in the EYFS, including our arrangements for assessment, safeguarding, and monitoring, can be found in our EYFS Policy.
The impact of our EYFS provision is that children leave the EYFS as capable, confident, and enthusiastic learners who are well-prepared for the next stage of their education; they demonstrate secure foundations in the knowledge and skills required for the wider curriculum, alongside the resilience and independence needed to thrive in school and beyond.
“At Charing CE Primary School, we are dedicated to fostering a love of learning in the Early Years, where every child is valued, nurtured and empowered to achieve their fullest potential.”
– Mrs H Carrington, EYFS Lead