The Early Years Foundation Stage

We believe at Beechoak Farm that every child deserves the best possible start in life and we are here to support the children in every way we can. We use our Montessori methods alongside The Early Years Foundation Stage.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is broken down into the following areas;

Characteristics of effective teaching :

Play and exploring – children investigate, experience and are willing to ‘have a go’

Active learning – children keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy their achievements

Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Prime Areas:

Personal, social and emotional development – children develop a positive sense of themselves and respect for others; they develop social skills and how to manage their feelings and understand appropriate behaviour in groups.

Physical development – where children have the opportunity to be active and interactive, to develop co-ordination, control and movement; they must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and healthy choices in food

Communication and language development - giving children the opportunity to speak and listen in a range of situations to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves.

Specific Areas

Literacy - encouraging children to read and being encouraged to begin to read and write themselves, given access to a wide range of reading materials.

Mathematics - providing children with opportunities to practice their skills in counting numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems, and describing shapes and measures.

Understanding the world - guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore and observe people, places, technology and the environment.

Expressive arts and design - supporting children to explore and play with a wide  range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities for sharing their thoughts and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play and design and technology.

Alongside this the EYFS also see’s the introduction of a 2 year check that must be completed between 24 and 36 months.

Parent’s consultations take place twice a year at which we, discuss progress and look through the profiles.

"When parents and practitioners work together in early years settings, the results have a positive impact on children's development and learning." 
Quoted from the Early Years Foundation Stage (Positive Relationships 2.2 Parents as Partners)