Early Years Foundation Stage

Throughout his year in Reception, your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through seven areas of learning and development.

Children should mostly develop the three prime areas first. These are:

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

These prime areas are the most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.

As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in four specific areas. These are:

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

Together these seven areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities in Reception. The professionals teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities are suited to each child’s unique needs. This is similar to a curriculum for older children, but it is suitable for very young children, and is designed to be flexible so that staff can follow each child’s particular needs and interests.

Children in Early Years learn by playing and exploring, being active and through creative and critical thinking, which takes place both indoors and outside.