Early Years - Sticky Fingers Daycare Nursery

As a childcare provider we ensure that children are supported in the seven areas of learning. These areas shape the educational programmes that we offer, and all learning is developed through fun and play based activities. They stimulate children’s love of learning and build on their skills so that they can thrive, communicate, form relationships and learn.
It sets the standards to ensure that all children learn and develop, as well as keeping them healthy and safe. Where additional support is required, we have access to support from family services, behaviour support services our Area SENCO (special educational needs coordinator), physiotherapists and speech & language therapists. Over the years we have supported quite a few children who need specialist care and by providing additional support and individual developmental programmes the children have joined mainstream school alongside their peers.

All schools and Ofsted registered early years providers in England must follow the EYFS.
Also included in the EYFS are the seven Areas of Learning. They are:

Communication and Language
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

In 2019, the government proposed changes to the EYFS. These changes have now been made and all early year’s settings and schools will follow the new EYFS from September 2021. The aim of the changes is to improve the learning for all children and to give them the best possible start in life.

Not all parts of the EYFS have changed, some elements have remained the same or similar.

Key Changes

Reduced the amount of unneeded written recordings and assessment of children by staff.
This means staff do not need to keep a large amount of written evidence that proves children are able to do lots of things.
Staff still know the abilities and skills of each child and know how to support them to develop. However, now they do not need to write this down unnecessarily.
This frees up more time for staff to spend directly with the children.
By taking away the need for constant recording, it helps to develop more natural play, conversations, and interaction between adults and children.
There is more of an emphasis on the importance of developing communication and language skills.
Children should be supported in building up vocabulary by increasing the number of words they know and can use.
Encourage more conversations between adults and children, but also children and their peers.
Good language skills are the basis for all other learning and social interaction, so this is vital to focus on.
There is a focus on how reading stories is important to help children develop in all of Areas of Learning.
Daily reading of stories encourages an enjoyment of reading from a young age.
Lots of other learning opportunities happen when looking at books, for example comparisons of culture or the past.
Listening to stories develops imagination, ideas and language.
Reading is an essential skill and so should be shown to children, as well as practiced by them regularly.
Children are also encouraged to use story ideas in their play.
There is a focus on encouraging healthy choices overall and an understanding of oral health.
Required to teach children the importance of brushing teeth.
Supervised toothbrushing is not expected in settings and schools.
Focus on helping children to understand which choices to make that will help them to be healthy, for example which foods to eat and why.
Getting into good routines from a young age is important as these often continue into adult life.

The principles which guide the work of our team

The seven areas of the EYFS

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED): Making relationships, Sense of self, Understanding Emotions
Helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

Communication and Language (CL): Listening and attention, Understanding, Speaking
Giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

Physical Development (PD): Moving and handling, Health and self-care
Providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

Literacy: (L): Reading, Writing
Development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.

Mathematics (M):
Providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding, and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

Understanding the World (UTW): People and communities, The world, Technology
Guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore observe and find out about people, places, technology, and the environment.

Expressive Arts and Design (EAD): Creating with materials, Being imaginative and expressive
Enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

What the children say

New Parents - Settling sessions

Early Years Foundation Stage

Key Changes

The principles which guide the work of our team

The seven areas of the EYFS

What the children say

New Parents - Settling sessions