Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The EYFS is based upon four principles:

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environments
• Learning and Development 

We recognise that every child is a unique learner who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. We know that children develop in individual ways, at varying rates. Children’s attitudes and dispositions to learning are influenced by feedback from others and so we  use praise and encouragement to help children develop self-esteem. We build strong and trusting relationships with children and their families through high levels of care and kindness and outstanding provision. Parents and carers are children’s first and most enduring educators and we seek to work in partnership with all our families. 

The learning environment plays a key role in supporting and extending the children’s development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected and we organise our indoor and outdoor provision to allow children to explore and learn securely and safely. Engaging provision areas are set up indoors and outdoors, and children have the freedom to learn and engage in activities of their own choosing. We develop independence and organisational skills by encouraging children to locate equipment and resources themselves, and take ownership of their learning. The Nursery and Reception classrooms have access to their own outdoor area. Children learn outside all year round and experience the changing seasons first-hand. Provision is carefully planned, changing and evolving over the course of the academic year, led by children’s interests and needs. Each area of provision is enhanced through planned, purposeful play and a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults. 

Our Green Curriculum Promise offers our EYFS children the opportunity to develop their knowledge of the natural world and the seasons, motor skills, confidence and self-esteem through regular learning in the natural environment.

We will inspire a love of the outdoors in our children from their first days at school and they will contribute to the development and management of our outdoor learning provision by planting and maintain trees and hedges. All Early Years pupils will access the outdoor areas on a daily basis. 

There is considerable expertise in delivering outstanding outdoor education across the trust, ensuring all children have equitable and fulfilling childhood experiences. For example, Eastwood Community Primary School offer RHS, RSPB and John Muir and have been awarded Learning Outside the Classroom Gold mark. 

Our children will join New Park at different stages of development, and will learn in different ways and at different rates. We will ensure that we support the development of all our children, by offering a wide range of provision and recruiting highly-skilled teachers and teaching assistants to support and guide our children.

The characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

• playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;
• active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements;
• creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Our EYFS provision will meet the needs of all our children, whatever their stage of development. We have highly skilled and experienced EYFS leadership across the trust and will draw upon this expertise when planning the classrooms and curriculum.