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What is EYFS?

Just as the schools follow the national curriculum, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a comprehensive framework which sets the standards for learning, development and care of children from birth to 5. All child-care practitioners must follow this framework and it helps to standardize the care that pre-school children receive.Following the guidelines given, the EYFS enables child-care practitioners to create a learning and development profile on all the children they care for. This gives parents and first year primary teachers reliable and accurate information about the levels of development for each child. With this in place, a well planned and effective curriculum can be created that will meet the needs of the child.

There are six areas of development and these are as follows:

1. Personal, Social and Emotional development

2. Communication & Language

3. Mathematics

4. Knowledge of the World

5. Physical development

6. Expressive Arts & Design

7. Literacy

Each area is broken down into smaller sections that practitioners can monitor and assess your child's development against.

In addition to the above, the eyfs wants children to achieve the following ‘Every child matters’ five outcomes:

1. Staying safe

2. Being healthy

3. Enjoying and achieving

4. Making a positive contribution

5. Achieving economic wellbeing 

...and these outcomes are achieved by:

1. Setting standards

2. Promoting Equality of opportunity

3. Creating a framework for partnership working

4. Improving quality and consistency

5. Laying a secure foundation for future learning and development

Throughout all of the above there are four underlying principles:

1.The unique child

2.Positive relationships

3.Enabling environments

4.Learning and development.

Together they mean that every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. They can learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning, and this development and learning is done in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected.

Daily Plan

So what will I do on a daily basis to further your child's learning and development?

Here is an example of a daily routine. It shows what activities you can expect your child to take part in. Naturally there are some routines that need to be followed, but I believe children should have the choice of activities. Free choice is available throughout the day but certain extra resources and activities are arranged in addition on a daily basis. There is also the advantage of childminding that we can pack up the car for a day's outing if the sunny shines on us, so plans are very flexible.

8am -9am

Children and parents are greeted. Free play where children can chose what they would like to play with. Parents can discuss any issues/concerns regarding their child if necessary.

Craft activity

This may involve painting, sticking, gluing, tearing, making and building.

Toilet trips & handwashing

Snack time (please see sample menu)

Outdoor Play

Weather permitting play will be in the yard and garden, where children can play on the activity cube, in the playhouse, scooter or other toys. There is also a sand table available.

On rainy days it is fun to grab wellies and waterproofs and splash in puddles.

Play can also involve a trip to the park, or a nature walk in the fields to see the farm animals.

Free play. Children can choose what they want to play with.

Toilet trips & handwashing

12.00pm-1.00pm

Lunch time (please see sample menu)

Story time.

The children will be read a story and be able to join in with noises and movement. The children will then be encouraged to choose a book and read it themselves.

Toilet trips & handwashing

Snack time (please see sample menu)

Music time.

Singing and dancing to children's songs. Playing instruments and having fun whilst learning about rhythm and sound.

Structured play centred around the EFYS

4.00pm-5.00pm

Dinner time followed by free play

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