EYFS

The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) framework sets the standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to the end of the Foundation Stage. All childminders, pre-schools, nurseries and reception classes follow these guidelines.

Welfare Requirements

The EYFS has a series of requirements relating to:

• Safeguarding and promoting and children’s welfare
• Suitable people
• Suitable premises, environment and equipment
• Organisation
• Documentation

The policies I have in place, along with record-keeping, daily checks and risk assessments, ensure that I adhere to all of these requirements. Copies of my policies are available on request.

Learning and Development

The EYFS splits Learning and Development into 3 prime areas:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

These prime areas are strengthened and applied through 4 specific areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the world
• Expressive arts and design

Planning, Observation and Assessment

The EYFS requires practitioners to undertake planning, observation and assessment of activities and development. I undertake this as follows:

Planning

I do medium-term planning with activities covering the 7 areas of development linked into our themes. For example, collecting leaves in the Autumn, creating an Autumn picture, talking about the crunch of walking in the leaves etc. Please see the parent’s page to find out about our current themes and activities.

I then do shorter term, daily planning for each child based on their interests and developmental needs. I create an outline for the day with structured activities to include construction, puzzles, craft, exercise as well as free play, story-time, singing, going outside, meals, snacks and sleeps.Parents are provided with regular updates outlining the areas we are focussing on, individual ‘next steps’ and information on new interests and milestones.

Observation

I am observing the children I care for all the time. I use these observations to link into my planning, for example, repeating a particular activity a child has really enjoyed, amending an activity a child has found tricky or expanding on a particular area of interest. These observations are documented in their daily diaries and learning journals. The daily diary is sent via WhatsApp and details everything about the child’s day – meals, sleeps, activities, any milestones reached. The learning journals contain photos and artwork as well as comments about interesting things the child has said or done. They are regularly taken home and become a treasured account of your child’s early years.

Assessment

This involves me thinking carefully about what my observations tell me about a child’s stage of development and behaviour patterns, so that I can record their progress. This again links into the planning process, for example, finding a more challenging jigsaw when the child is ready or playing ‘counting’ games with a child to reinforce their progress in that area.

I provide a Progress Check at age two and then further updates at six-monthly intervals. These are short written reports which highlight strengths and achievements and also include plans for future next steps including any areas where extra support is needed.