The Early Years Foundation Stage

Forbury Gardens Day Nursery is working within the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, with all children from 3 months, up to when a child leaves us to go to school.

The overarching aim of the Early Years Foundation Stage is to help young children achieve the Five Every Child Matters outcomes, of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well being.

There are posters around the building detailing how the Early Years Foundation Stage is built around four themes. These four themes are:

  • A Unique child – Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured.
  • Positive relationships – Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
  • Enabling Environments – The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.
  • Learning and Development - Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected.

Outlined below are the requirements for the six areas of learning and development that we are working towards achieving with all the children.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Children must be provided with experiences and support which will help them to develop a positive sense of themselves and of others; respect for others; social skills; and a positive disposition to learn. We will ensure that we support children’s emotional well being to help them to know themselves and what they can do.
Communication, Language and Literacy: Children’s learning and competence in communicating, speaking and listening, being read to and beginning to read and write must be supported and extended. Children will be provided with opportunity and encouragement to use their skills in a range of situations and for a range of purposes, and be supported in the confidence and disposition to do so.
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy: Children must be supported in developing their understanding of Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy in a broad range of contexts in which they can explore, enjoy, learn, practice and talk about their developing understanding. Children will be provided with the opportunities to practice and extend their skills in these areas and to gain confidence and competence in their use.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World: Children are supported in developing the knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world. Their learning will be supported through offering opportunities for them to use a range of tools safely; encounter creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments and in real life situations; undertake practical ‘experiments’ ; and work with a range of materials.
Physical Development: The physical development of babies and young children will be encouraged through the provision of opportunities for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills of co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement. Children will be supported in using all of their senses to learn about the world around them and to make connections between new information and what they already know. Children will be supported in developing an understanding of the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food.
Creative Development: Children’s creativity will be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity, exploration and play. Children will be provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance, imaginative and role-play activities, mathematics and design and technology.

The foundation stage profile is carried out for four year olds and goes with the child to their next setting. A copy is available in Swans for parents to see.