Early Years Foundation Stage

What to Expect

Your child’s early years experience should be happy, and fun, and support your child’s development, wellbeing, care and learning needs. 

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) includes seven areas of learning that help to shape the educational programmes provided in early years settings. All areas are interconnected. Three prime areas are especially important for children to build a foundation to support other areas of learning. These are:

• Communication and language – the development of children’s spoken language, understanding and allowing them to experience a rich language environment. 
• Physical development – physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to develop their coordination, control, and movement. 
• Personal, social, and emotional development – focuses on children’s mental wellbeing including building relationships and developing their understanding of emotions and self-regulation skills. 

There are also four specific areas through which the prime areas are strengthened. These are:

• Literacy – encourages children to foster a love of reading and helps children develop language comprehension through interactions and sharing poems, stories, and songs. These are the foundations for learning to read and write later on. 
• Mathematics – providing opportunities for children to develop their problem-solving, counting and numerical pattern skills. 
• Understanding the world – guiding children to make sense of the natural world and their communities. 
• Expressive arts and design – encouraging children to explore and play with materials and develop their imagination.