EYFS

EYFS

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was originally launched in 2008 and is the statutory framework for all early years providers in England but is also held in high regard throughout the World.  The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards that all early years providers must meet.

Early years providers in England who provide care and learning for children from birth to the end of reception class must comply with the EYFS Statutory Framework. The reason for this is that it helps your child get ready for school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes.

Here at Dinotots we believe that from when your child is born their early years experience should be fun, safe and secure, happy, active, exciting; and support their development, care and learning needs.

Ofsted is the Early Years regulator which inspects all early years providers to ensure the safeguarding and welfare requirements and areas of learning are being met. From time to time the EYFS is updated and refreshed, so far this has happened in 2012, 2014 and 2017.

From September 2021, a revised EYFS will come into force focusing on what matters most for children’s outcomes:

  • A strong and holistic curriculum that puts early language development at the heart;

  • A streamlined and effective assessment process through a revised EYFS profile and removing statutory local authority moderation, which will reduce unnecessary workload and cement the EYFSP as a tool that is designed to support children’s transition to year 1;

  • A new requirement to promote good oral health.

The key messages about the reforms include:

  • Reducing practitioner/teacher workload and needless paperwork to allow for more quality time and interactions with the children
  • The importance of workforce knowledge and professional development to inform assessments. Reflect upon the need to assess every child’s development against ‘check lists’, saving formal steps of assessment for when they are necessary
  • Making early learning goals clearer and more aligned to Y1 curriculum
  • Improving the outcomes of all children and addressing/reducing the disadvantage gaps

So, why are these changes happening?

To summarise the points above, the main reasons the EYFS is changing is to:

  • Improve outcomes at age 5, particularly in early language and literacy
  • Reduce workload such as unnecessary paperwork, so practitioners/teachers can spend more time with the children in their care

How is Dinotots preparing for these changes?

In readiness for the changes that came into effect in September 2021, our nursery teams worked hard through external and in-house training – webinars, presentations, discussions, staff meetings, workshops, etc – to ensure we were fully prepared in meeting the standards of the new framework and that the children in our care have the best foundation to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.

So, what do the changes mean to me as a parent/carer?

The safety of your child and the quality of the education provided is at the forefront of Dinotots daily activities and will not change.

You may not see any changes in terms of the activities and opportunities on offer to your child/ren, however, you may notice that we are not physically recording as many observations and assessments of progress. Observations may appear as more of a photo snapshot of your child participating in activities.

Please be reassured that we will still be supporting your child’s development and responding to their interests.  We will be using our professional judgement to assess your child’s development during our daily interactions and activities.  The progress check at 2 years is still a mandatory assessment point and we will still share your child’s development and progress with you.

As a parent/carer, how can I help with my child’s learning?

All the fun activities that you do with your child at home are important in supporting their learning and development and have a really long lasting effect on your child’s learning as they progress through their education journey.

Even when your child is very young and is not yet able to talk, talking to them helps them to learn and understand new words and ideas. Making time every day doing things with your child such as singing and telling nursery rhymes, sharing a book, etc will make a real difference to your child’s confidence as a young learner.

Try to speak to your child’s key person as often as possible about what your child has been doing, what they have enjoyed, what they need to be doing more of and what you can do at home and share your home experiences on the nursery software, we love to see all the adventures and milestones

Further reading/links

 

How we deliver the EYFS at Dinotots Childcare

 

At Dinotots we have created a new ambitious curriculum in line with the Revised EYFS

The EYFS is a framework for children from birth to five years, covering the welfare and development of children. This is a statutory framework for all Early Years and Childcare Settings (including nurseries and childminders) and is covered in the Reception year at school.

The framework focuses on learning and development through play and we fully embrace this at Dinotots Childcare, allowing children to learn and develop at their own pace through their own likes and interests. We tailor the activities and experiences provided to meet their individual needs. The Welfare guidance covers the safety and security of the setting, the facilities, equipment and quality of the provision, and the qualifications, experience, training and DBS checks of staff.

The development guidance covers 7 main areas of learning and development with each section containing certain development milestones and steps that each child should achieve or work towards achieving.

The areas of learning are separated into Prime and Specific areas. The Prime areas are the focus for all 0-2 year olds and are the building blocks on which the Specific learning can then take place. These areas are:

  • Prime – Personal, Social and Emotional development
  • Prime: Communication and Language
  • Prime: Physical development
  • Specific: Literacy
  • Specific: Maths
  • Specific: Understanding the World
  • Specific: Expressive Arts and Design

Your child’s Key Person will monitor their progress through the EYFS and keep you updated of any achievements or concerns, planning together for their next steps. This will be kept in their Individual Education Programme which you can ask to view at any time.

Please also feel free to share ideas for learning and development or achievements at home.

For more information on the EYFS please visit www.direct.gov.uk/eyfs

 

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