EARLY YEARS AT TYLDESLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

THE EYFS CHILDREN LOVE LEARNING AT HOME!

Whenever we are learning about something at school, we like to send home a learning task in our ‘Learning Together’ book that supports us with our learning. We then often use what we have made at home to help us with our learning in school, such as using our own ‘Stickman’ within a measuring task and within stories we had created; and using our frozen balloons in ice experiments.

Working together in partnership ensures that the children really do get off to the best start within our EYFS department.

The 7 Areas of Learning

Within the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, there are 7 areas of learning and development.

All of the areas are important as they are all interconnected. These 7 areas are used by early years settings to shape their education programmes and to determine what children should learn and how children’s learning and development will be supported through each of these 7 areas.

The 7 areas are split into two categories: the prime areas and the specific areas.

The Prime Areas

The prime areas lay the foundations upon which all further learning can develop. The prime areas are also extremely important for ‘igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving’, as stated in the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage.

(See the pages below for how these areas look at Tyldesley Primary School)

The three prime areas are:

The Specific Areas

Early years settings must also support children’s learning and development in the specific areas. The four specific areas are intended to also strengthen learning and development within the prime areas, hence why the 7 areas are seen as being interconnected.

(See the pages below for how these areas look at Tyldesley Primary School)

The four specific areas are:

Four Guiding Principles

There are four guiding principles of the EYFS, which should be considered when implementing the seven learning and development areas of the EYFS.

The four principles are:

• That every child is unique
• That every child can learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
• That children learn and develop best in enabling environments
• That children develop and learn in different ways

Characteristics of Effective Learning

In planning and guiding what children learn, practitioners must reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust their practice appropriately.

Three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

• Playing and exploring: children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
• Active learning: children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
• Creating and thinking critically: children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things