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Chesterton PlaygroupParents' Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is how the Government and early year’s professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and age 5. This is a very important stage as it helps your child get ready for school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes. From when your child is born up until the age of 5, their early year’s experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure; and support their development, care and learning needs. At Chesterton Playgroup we are registered to deliver the EYFS and we must follow a legal document called the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.

The EYFS framework sets out:
  • The legal welfare requirements that everyone registered to look after children must follow to keep your child safe and promote their welfare
  • The 7 areas of learning and development which guide professionals’ engagement with your child’s play and activities as they learn new skills and knowledge
  • Assessments that will tell you about your child’s progress through the EYFS
  • Expected levels that your child should reach at age 5, usually the end of the reception year; these expectations are called the "Early Learning Goals (ELGs)"

The 7 areas of development:
  • Physical
  • Literacy
  • Communication and Language
  • Personal, Social and Emotional
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive arts and design

The seven areas of development are used to plan your child’s learning and activities, observations will be made and next steps will be planned for each child so that keyworkers and staff can follow a child's unique needs and interests.
Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside.
Each child will have a keyworker who will make observations and write two year checks and termly reports for your child. The key person also compiles learning journeys for your child and provides a link with the family and the pre-school.

When a child has turned two years old they have a two year check with the health visitor and also a two year check at pre-school that involves written summary of how your child is progressing against the 3 prime areas of learning:
  • Communication and language;
  • Physical development;
  • Personal, social and emotional development.

This two year check will be discussed with parents during a meeting with their child’s keyworker. This check will highlight areas where your child is progressing well and if there are any areas where they might need some extra help or support. The keyworker will discuss any issues or concerns with the family and plan next steps with parents during the two year check meeting.

When a child is ready to move to school the pre-school staff will compile a report for the child’s foundation stage teacher, discussing the report with parents before it is sent. Visits by the staff will be made to a child’s new school where possible and every possible avenue will be explored in order to make a child’s transition to school as smooth as possible.

Downloads
What to expect in the Early Years Foundation Stage
Vision and Ethos
Guide to Starting School    
Musical Development Matters    
Development Matters In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)    
The Road to School    
Chesterton Playgroup            The Village Hall            Alchester Road            Chesterton            Oxfordshire            OX26 1UN
Contact Details Julia Shillito and Claire Hall 01869 360593 (Playgroup Manager Team)

General e-mail contact admin@chestertonplaygroup.org.uk