The Department for Education has issued a statutory framework for nursery settings, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The framework sets out the legal requirements for the care of young children relating to learning, development and welfare. These are important areas all parents need to be comfortable with before choosing any type of childcare.
Parents at Teeny Days told us they like to be kept informed on the EYFS, as the framework not only provides legal requirements but also structure around the four key areas of learning and development.
The EYFS framework sets the UK standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. The curriculum is built around four principles:
- A Unique Child
- Positive Relationships
- Enabling Environments
- Learning and Development
Parents are kept informed of their child’s progress within these four principles through regular dialogue with their child’s carer and through the individual development folder of each child.
A Unique Child
At Teeny Days we focus on how children develop; we recognise they are all different, but should be treated equally. Positive relationships and good communication are vital. Children need to learn about risks and safety, how to make good choices and how to stick to boundaries. We make every attempt to provide full opportunity for each child to do their best, ensuring their physical and emotional needs are met during their time with us.
Positive Relationships
This theme is about children learning to manage their feelings and build relationships. We respect all kinds of families and aim to develop a positive two-way relationship with parents. We have a nominated key carer for each child to ensure each child has the opportunity of building a close relationship and is well monitored during their time with us.
Enabling Environments
We plan and check on each child’s progress and make every attempt to involve parents and the local community. We ensure that inside and outside spaces of the nursery are safe, interesting and engaging. Our carers support children when they move on, working as a team to help children succeed.
Learning and Development
By age 5, about 90% of a child’s brain reaches its adult size and forms the core foundation for lifelong learning, emotional health, and behaviour, so we recognise how crucial this time is to maximise opportunities for learning. At Teeny Days, we work hard to create exceptional experiences for our children, ensuring they learn through play and exploration, with support for each individual. We encourage children to develop imagination, to get actively involved in learning and to make decisions, balancing the need for both children and adults to lead the learning.
The seven areas of learning
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Physical Development
Sensory Play
Sensory play directly fuels early brain development by building crucial nerve connections in a child’s brain, supporting cognitive growth, language development and motor skills. By engaging multiple senses, young children learn to solve problems and understand cause-and-effect. These activities also improve fine and gross motor skills through physical actions like squeezing and pouring, while providing a natural way for children to regulate their emotions and learn cooperation. At Teeny Days, we love sensory play as a means of delivering our curriculum, particularly through our tuff tray activities. Have a look at some of our wonderful tuff trays…
Parent Guide
If you would like further information about the seven areas of learning and what we teach in nursery, a guide is available for parents which you can find on the Foundation Years website.