Early Years Foundation Stage
The EYFS applies to children from birth to the end of the Reception year. At Green Park Village Primary Academy, initially the EYFS applies to children joining us at the beginning of the school year in which they turn five years of age.
Early Years at Green Park Village Primary Academy
Early childhood is the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. At Green Park Village Primary Academy we greatly value the important role that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) plays in laying secure foundations for future learning and development, however we also believe early childhood is valid in itself, as part of life.
Our Curriculum Intent for Early Years
We view our EYFS as preparation for life and not simply preparation for the next stage of education.
Our Early Years Curriculum is designed to be the gateway to all learning journeys in our school, igniting all children’s aspiration towards their exceptional futures.
At Green Park Village Primary Academy we will take every opportunity to ensure that our bespoke curriculum provides the bedrock to support all children to acquire the confidence to take on new learning experiences, to link their prior knowledge and to become agents of their own learning, both in school and beyond as they grow into citizens of their community.
We will aim for the children to be:
- Making choices about their learning and working both independently and collaboratively;
- Actively involved and engaged in their own learning journey;
- Investigators and explorers with their learning environments, developing new skills and acquiring and building knowledge;
- Proficient in acquiring and applying new learning and skills;
- Communicating what they have learned and communicating effectively with others;
- Thriving and making excellent progress from their starting points.
Our Curriculum Implementation for Early Years
Our Early Years curriculum is carefully structured to provide opportunities for children to learn through planned, purposeful learning activities in all areas of learning and development in the indoor and outdoor environment. Some learning is led by adults and some by the children themselves. Appropriate intervention by specialist practitioners supports children to engage in the learning process and extend their knowledge and skill- the know of, and the know how, explicit in our Enquiry Curriculum progression.
Our curriculum enables children to learn and develop skills, attitudes and understanding in prime and specific areas of learning.
The Prime Areas
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, social and Emotional Development
The Specific areas
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive Arts and Design
Achievement of these prime and specific areas of learning is by:
- Playing and exploring
- Active learning
- Creating and thinking critically
The Learning Environment as a teacher
We recognise that the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending the children’s development and that the use of resources and the environment needs to be carefully planned. We are creating an attractive, welcoming and stimulating learning environment which encourages children to explore, investigate and learn through first-hand experience. Our aim is for our learning environment to be a place where children feel secure and confident, and are challenged to develop their independence. Children have the freedom to move between the indoor and outdoor learning environment throughout the school day.
The role of adults:
Skilled adults will work as learning partner and learning provocateur with the children, moving children’s learning forward by listening, recording, observing and eliciting.
Each child will have their own Key Worker and all practice with be overseen by the Early Years Leader.
Government publications:
EYFS Statutory Framework (from September 2021):
Development Matters- 2021 version:
Early Years Foundation Stage Policy:
Green Park Village Primary Academy Early Years Foundation Stage Policy May 2020