EYFS

We have a thriving pre-school on site here at Long Mountain and our pre-schoolers benefit from high quality provision from the age of 2 right through to starting school. We continue to provide a carefully considered, high quality early years curriculum as the children move from pre-school into Reception (Class 1). The knowledge the children acquire in Pre-School and Class 1 are the foundations for their learning as they move on into the National Curriculum (in Year 1, Class 2).

EYFS Links with National Curriculum Subjects

EYFS links to national curriculum

The early years foundation stage framework is split into seven areas of learning. Three of these are known as the ‘prime areas’ and the other four areas are the ‘specific’ areas. The seven areas are then split into further strands as follows (shown in brackets alongside the areas of learning):

Prime areas

Communication and language development (listening, attention and understanding; speaking) This sets the foundations for literacy and is crucial to children being able to move onto literacy in the national curriculum.
Personal, social and emotional development (self-regulation; managing self; building relationships). This area links with PSHE in the national curriculum. It is a very important part of EYFS and runs through most of what we do. This is how we foster social skills such as sharing, turn-taking, empathy for others, the ability to make and sustain relationships, confidence and independence, awareness of feelings, co-operation etc.

Physical development (gross motor skills; fine motor skills). This area includes the development of gross motor skills needed for sports and physical health, and equally importantly the development of fine motor skills which are essential for children learning to hold a pencil, make marks with control and write.

Specific areas

Literacy (comprehension; word reading; writing)
Mathematics (number; numerical patterns)
Understanding of the world (past and present; people, culture and communities; the natural world). This area links with history, geography, science and RE in the National Curriculum.

Expressive arts and design (creating with materials; being imaginative). This area links with art, music and design technology in the National Curriculum.

Each strand is associated with an early learning goal (ELG). These are what we use to measure children against at the end of reception (best fit model). In order to achieve a good level of development (GLD) at the end of foundation stage, children are expected to achieve the ELG’s in the prime areas, along with those associated with literacy and maths.

Below is a brief summary of where the foundation stage ELG’s fit into the National Curriculum subjects in key stages 1 and 2.

English

Literacy educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

"It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together. Skilled word reading, taught later, involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing). "

Early learning goals that link to English:

EYFS Communication and language development

ELG Listening, attention and understanding –

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 –

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.

EYFS Physical development (this links to the mechanics of writing/pencil control)

ELG Fine motor skills –

Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases

EYFS Literacy

ELG Comprehension

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

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

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.

EYFS Expressive arts and design (this links to re-telling and adapting familiar stories – talk for writing)

ELG Being imaginative

Invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers and their teacher

In foundation stage the children……

Are taught phonics through Phonics Shed a validated scheme (phonemes, graphemes, tricky words, high frequency words, segmenting and blending, letter names).
Learn songs, rhymes and stories with Signalong actions, so that they can re-tell them independently.
Practise book skills eg where to find the front and back of a book, author, title, turning pages in order, tracking words from left to write, differences between words and letters, answering simple questions.
Learn how to form letters correctly using letter patter (with flicks).
Learn how to write simple words and sentences using their phonics skills.
Gain a love of stories and reading from adults who share books regularly using props and puppets.
Read individually or in a small group with an adult each week.
Have daily opportunities to practise their reading and writing skills indoors and outdoors in child-led provision.
Are taught new vocabulary in context and staff are skilled in helping the children to use new vocabulary so that it becomes embedded. Vocab books are made and used to enable children to re-visit and practise using new vocabulary.

Maths

Mathematics educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

"Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. In addition, it is important that the curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes."

Early learning goals that link to maths:

EYFS Mathematics

ELG Number -

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 -

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

In reception the lessons are always hands-on, and based on concrete, pictorial and abstract methods where possible.

In foundation stage the children…….

Sing lots of number songs and rhymes whilst learning to count forwards and backwards.
Learn all about shapes and their properties so that they can describe them in simple terms.
Use a range of equipment to explore capacity, weight, size and money in real-life situations (such as tape measures, balances, water toys, a till and real coins).
Learn number facts such as number bonds and doubles to enable fast recall.
Practise counting regular and irregular arrangements of objects accurately.
Learn how to add two numbers together and how to subtract a small number from a bigger number.
Have daily opportunities to practise their maths skills indoors and outdoors in child-led provision.
Are taught how to write numerals.
Play lots of games in order to practise counting and recognising numerals.
Learn how to put numbers in the correct order on a number-line.
Take part in reasoning and problem-solving activities appropriate to their age.

Science

Understanding of the world educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension.

Early learning goals that link to science:

EYFS - Understanding the world

ELG The natural world

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

In foundation stage the children…….

Explore their own bodies and their senses
Learn to name the parts of the body and what we use them for.
Learn about animals and their homes, including pets, farm animals and wild animals.
Observe changes such as chicks hatching and caterpillars turning into butterflies, the seasons changing, plants and flowers growing. They are supported to notice and talk about what is happening and why.
Learn about being healthy, including eating a range of foods and taking part in exercise.
Develop a sense of curiosity and exploration through a range of resources relating to our topics, eg magnets, magnifying glasses, colour paddles, things to smell and taste etc, and through the continuous provision areas such as sand, water, small world, construction etc.

History

Understanding of the world educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

Early learning goals that link to history are :

EYFS Understanding the world

ELG Past and present

Talk about the lives of people around them and their roles in society.
Know some similarities and difference 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.

In foundation stage the children…….

Look at pictures of themselves now and themselves as babies, and talk about how they have changed.
Learn about families – children, parents, grandparents – and relate to the past, eg parents were once babies, then children etc.
Learn vocabulary that helps them to talk about the past, present and future such as yesterday, today, tomorrow, last week, this week, next week, last year, this year, next year, a long time ago.
Listen to stories that are set in the past.
Compare things in the past and now, linked to our topics (eg emergency vehicles, houses, space rockets etc).
Learn the names of some significant people from the past, such as Neil Armstrong, Guy Fawkes, Florence Nightingale (linked to our topics).

Geography

Understanding of the world educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

Early learning goals that link to geography are:

EYFS Understanding the world

ELG People, culture and communities

Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps.
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.

In foundation stage the children…….

Look at and talk about where they live.
Learn that they live in Oldham, which is in England.
Talk about different places that they visit eg the park, the beach, the farm, and can talk about some of the similarities and differences.
Explore maps and make their own maps (often linked to stories such as ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’).
Listen to stories which are set in different places, particularly different countries – this gives the opportunity to talk about how other countries are similar and different.
Explore different places through some of our topics (eg animals - explore the different places they might live; space – learn what it looks like, feels like, what you can see etc; festivals/celebrations – learn about celebrations in other countries and this country eg Chinese New Year, Diwali, Eid).
Have on display a large map of the world, on which we can link flags of countries from our topics and stories, put labels for land, sea, countries and places of interest that come up in our stories and topics.

Physical Education

Physical development educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practise of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence.

Early learning goals that link to PE:

EYFS Physical development

ELG Gross motor skills

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

In foundation stage the children…….

Are physically active every day both indoors and outdoors.
Have regular access to a range of resources to develop strength, balance and co-ordination eg wheeled toys, climbing equipment, bats and balls, large tyres, a parachute and equipment to build obstacle courses etc
Have many opportunities outdoors to be energetic. We operate a free-flow system indoors and outdoors so that children who learn better when physically active can choose to spend more time than others outside.

Art

Expressive arts and design educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

Early learning goals that link to art:

EYFS - Expressive arts and design

ELG Creating with materials

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.

EYFS – Physical development

ELG Fine motor

Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paintbrushes and cutlery.

In foundation stage the children…….

Have daily access to a range of media and materials eg different types of paper, varying thickness/hardness of pencils, thick and thin brushes, paint, paint sticks, pastels etc. in continuous provision.
Are taught different techniques such as drawing, painting, printing, collage, which they can then practise independently.
Explore colour-mixing through our ‘self-service’ paint stations.

Music

Early learning goals that link to music:

EYFS Expressive arts and design

ELG Being imaginative and expressive

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.

In foundation stage the children…….

Access a range of percussion instruments indoors and outdoors, and are taught their names.
Explore how sounds can be changed and learn the related vocabulary eg loud/quiet, fast/slow.
Build up a repertoire of songs and rhymes through opportunities to sing on a regular basis.
Listen to a range of music
Are encouraged to move in response to music.

Computing

The early learning goals that previously linked to computing (EYFS technology) have been removed from the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework 2020. There is no mention of the teaching of technology in the education programmes or development matters document either. We understand how important it is that children develop their technology skills and will continue to use a range of technology to support and enhance learning in other areas of the curriculum. For example, the children will continue to use the Bee-Bots when learning about direction and will use Ipads to listen to and watch animated stories, watch videos linked to our topics and play games to develop phonic and number skills.

In foundation stage the children…….

Have daily access to a range of technology resources such as torches with switches, remote controlled cars, beebots, talking tins, voice-recording toys, as well as class iPads and interactive whiteboards.
Use a range of technology resources to support learning in other areas of the curriculum.
Are taught how to use the resources for different purposes eg iPads to watch videos, play games, take photographs and listen to stories.

Design and Technology

Expressive arts and design educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

Early learning goals that link to design technology:

EYFS - Expressive arts and design

ELG Creating with materials

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.

EYFS – Physical development

ELG Fine motor

Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paintbrushes and cutlery.

In foundation stage the children…….

Have daily opportunities to make their own creations using a wide range of different materials, fixings and tools which are freely available in continuous provision.
Are taught how to use tools such as scissors, hole punch, string, sellotape, cutters etc.
Are encouraged to talk about what they would like to make, how they will do it and what they think about it when it is finished.
Are encouraged to evaluate what they have made and make changes as appropriate.
Take part in several weeks throughout the year where parents are invited to come in and make things.

Religious Education

Understanding of the world educational programme (taken from the EYFS Framework 2020)

Early learning goals that link to RE are:

Understanding the World

ELG People and Communities

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.

In foundation stage the children…….

Learn about and celebrate a range of festivals and celebrations from around the world, for example Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year, Eid, Diwali – these may change or be added to depending on the children in FS, as we try to celebrate the festivals that the children in the class will celebrate at home.
Look at what makes us the same and different to others.
Learn about different feelings and talk about how they are feeling, how others are feeling and what we can do to make others feel good.
Develop compassion for others through a caring and supportive environment.

Long Mountain C of E Primary School & Pre-School

EYFS

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