Foundation Stage

 

Foundation Stage Curriculum
EYFS Curriculum Intent

 

Early Learning Goals


COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

ELG: Listening, Attention and Understanding
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions when being read to and during whole class discussions and small group interactions.
  • Make comments about what they have heard and ask questions to clarify their understanding.
  • Hold conversation when engaged in back-and-forth exchanges with their teacher and peers.

ELG: Speaking
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas, using recently introduced vocabulary.
  • Offer explanations for why things might happen, making use of recently introduced vocabulary from stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems when appropriate.
  • Express their ideas and feelings about their experiences using full sentences, including use of past, present and future tenses and making use of conjunctions, with modelling and support from their teacher.


PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ELG: Self-Regulation
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly.
  • Set and work towards simple goals, being able to wait for what they want and control their immediate impulses when appropriate.
  • Give focused attention to what the teacher says, responding appropriately even when engaged in activity, and show an ability to follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.

ELG: Managing Self
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Be confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge.
  • Explain the reasons for rules, know right from wrong and try to behave accordingly.

Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices.

ELG: Building Relationships
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Work and play cooperatively and take turns with others.
  • Form positive attachments to adults and friendships with peers.
  • Show sensitivity to their own and to others’ needs


PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

ELG: Gross Motor Skills
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Negotiate space and obstacles safely, with consideration for themselves and others.
  • Demonstrate strength, balance and coordination when playing.
  • Move energetically, such as running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing.

ELG: Fine Motor Skills
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases.
  • Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paint brushes and cutlery.
  • Begin to show accuracy and care when drawing.


LITERACY

ELG: Comprehension
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary;
  • Anticipate – where appropriate – key events in stories;

Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role-play

ELG: Word Reading
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs;
  • Read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending;
  • Read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words.

  • ELG: Writing
    Children at the expected level of development will:

    • Write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed;
    • Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters;
    Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.


MATHEMATICS

ELG: Number
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Have a deep understanding of number to 10, including the composition of each number.
  • Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to 5.
  • Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts.

ELG: Numerical Patterns
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system.
  • Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity.
  • Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally.


UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD

ELG: Past and Present
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society.
  • Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.
  • Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.

ELG: People, Culture and Communities
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps.
  • Know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.
  • Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and – when appropriate – maps.

ELG: The Natural World
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants.
  • Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class
  • Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.


EXPRESSIVE ARTS AND DESIGN

ELG: Creating with Materials
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
  • Share their creations, explaining the process they have used.
  • Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.

ELG: Being Imaginative and Expressive
Children at the expected level of development will:

  • Invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers and their teacher.
  • Sing a range of well-known nursery rhymes and songs.
  • Perform songs, rhymes, poems and stories with others, and – when appropriate – try to move in time with music.

 

How Can I Help With My Child's Learning?

All the fun activities that you do with your child at home are important in supporting their learning and development, and have a really long lasting effect on your child’s learning as they progress through school.

Even when your child is very young and is not yet able to talk, talking to them helps them to learn and understand new words and ideas. If you make the time every day to do some of the following things with your child, it will make a real difference to your child’s confidence as a young learner.

  • Encourage good manners and sharing/taking turns.
  • Encourage your child to help around the house and take responsibility for their own things e.g. tidying up, sorting laundry, putting dishes in the dishwasher.
  • Teach your child to use the toilet independently and wash their hands.
  • Encourage your child to dress themselves.
  • Talk – a lot!
  • Read and look at books together.
  • Go to the park and on walks to look at the natural environment.
  • Use natural opportunities for your child to understand small quantities e.g. ask your child to bring you two apples.
  • Do jigsaws and puzzles.
  • Paint, draw and colour.
  • Play with playdough, water and sand.
  • Provide opportunities for your child to play with small, fiddly materials e.g. Lego, beads or rice.
  • Involve your child in your daily activities and interests – young children love to help with gardening, laundry, even cleaning!

 

What we are learning this term

Please find below a guide to what we will be learning each term in Foundation Stage.

The specific topics that we learn are based on the interests and needs of the children each year and so are subject to change, but this will give you a general indication of the knowledge and skills that we are working on.

It is extremely helpful to children if conversations at home and at school build on each other. Please see the ‘What we are Learning’ sheets that we post every week on our parent communication app for more specific information.

Curriculum outline
EYFS Curriculum Information

 

Your Child's Development

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, click here

Recommended Reading List
Reading List