The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to the end of their reception year.

From September 2021 the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has been amended and a new framework put in place for all schools and settings to follow.

The National changes have been made in order to improve the support for all young childrens’ learning and development as well as better prepare them for Key Stage 1.

Not all of the EYFS Framework has been changed.

Some of the key points for us all to be aware of :-

• Less paperwork for staff and more focused time for them to engage and support children and their learning and development
• No more assessments against age bands, instead staff using their knowledge and experience will track where each individual child is according to their age
• The Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception have been changed and staff will use their judgments to check each child has reached these goals
• A strong emphasis on children’s language and vocabulary and how to improve them using a wide range of opportunities for conversations, looking at a range of books, reading stories, talking to each other through out the nursery day and at home
• Literacy and numeracy skills are now focused to match up with the National Curriculum in Year 1
• Removal of the word   ‘exceeding’ from the end of a Reception judgement. Children will be challenged to have a greater understanding and depth of ideas
• Safeguarding and the welfare of children is still a top priority with the added introduction of teaching children the importance of oral health and why, how and when to clean their teeth www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/taking-care-of-childrens-teeth
  

How parents and Carers can help your child’s learning and development alongside nursery

• Talking to your child through out the day. This helps to increase their vocabulary the more words they hear
• Reading stories to your child and talk about the story, what is in the pictures, what might happen next
• Encourage and teach your child self help skills e.g. putting and taking off their own coat and shoes, going to the toilet, washing hands, cleaning their teeth
• Encourage healthy foods and drinks and to try new ‘tastes’
• Activities to help develop their physical skills in order to strengthen their gross and fine motor skills i.e. going to the park to run, climb, playing outdoors is as important as indoors
• Count when you go up and down stairs, how many cars/dolls they are playing with, say/sing number rhymes using fingers to represent numbers