Heavitree Community Pre-school
                                   Early Years Foundation Stage Policy




“Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to reach their full potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child's experience between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances.  A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right.  Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.”


The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) applies to children from birth to the end of the reception year. 


The Early Years Foundation stage sets the standards that early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept Healthy and safe.


At Heavitree Community Pre-School, we recognise the importance of quality pre-school care and education for young children. We are committed to providing a safe, stimulating and challenging environment that will develop and broaden children’s learning experiences. All children will be provided with activities that are right for their age and stage of development. 


The EYFS seeks to provide:
  • Quality and Consistency in all Early Years settings, so that every child makes good progress and that no child is left behind;
  • A Secure Foundation through learning and development opportunities which are planned around the needs and interests of each individual child and are assessed and reviewed regularly;
  • Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers;
  • Equality of Opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported. 


The EYFS specifies the following requirements for learning and development of children:
  • Learning and Development which must shape all activities and experiences for children in early years settings.
  • Early Learning Goals that providers must help children work towards
  • Assessment Arrangements for measuring progress and requirements for reporting to parents/carers.


The EYFS is based upon four guiding principles:
  • A Unique Child 
  • Positive Relationships
  • Enabling Environments 
  • Children Develop and learn in different ways and rates.


A Unique Child
At Heavitree Community Pre-School we recognise that every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be confident, resilient, capable, and self-assured. 


Heavitree Community Pre-school:-


  • Understand and observe each child's development and learning, assess progress, plan for next steps.
  • Supports children to develop positive sense of their own identity and culture.
  • Identify any need for additional support
  • Keep children safe
  • Value and respect all children and families equally.




Positive Relationships
Heavitree Community Pre-school recognises that children learn to be strong and independent from secure relationships. 


Heavitree Community Pre-school promotes and understands positive relationships as:-


  • Warm and loving, and foster a sense of belonging.
  • Sensitive and responsive to the child’s needs feelings and interests.
  • Supportive of the child's own efforts and independence.
  • Consistent in setting clear boundaries.
  • Stimulating
  • Built on key person relationships.




Enabling Environments
Heavitree Community Pre-school recognise that children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners parents and carers. 


Heavitree Community pre-school understands Enabling Environments:-
  • Value all people
  • Value learning
  • Offer stimulating resources relevant to all the children's cultures and communities.
  • Rich learning opportunities through play and playful teaching.
  • Support for children to take risks and explore.




Learning and Development
Heavitree Community Pre-school recognise that children learn and develop in different ways.  The framework covers the care and education of all children in early year’s provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.


Heavitree Community Pre-school teaches children by providing challenging, playful opportunities across the prime and specific areas of learning and development.


Heavitree Community Pre-school promotes the Characteristics of effective learning through:-
  • Playing and exploring 
  • Active Learning
  • Creating and thinking critically




Areas of Learning
The EYFS is made up of seven areas of learning which shape education programs at Heavitree Community Pre-School.  The three prime areas are crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.  These three areas are:  


  • Communication and Language 
  • Physical Development
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development


The four specific areas support and strengthen the three prime areas, which are:
  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design


None of these areas can be delivered in isolation from the others. They are equally important and depend on each other. All areas are delivered through a balance of adult led and child initiated activities. In each area there are Early Learning Goals (ELG's) that define the expectations for most children to reach by the end of the EYFS.


  • The curriculum refers to the activities and experiences, planned and unplanned, offered to the children from which they can learn, either formally or informally. Session plans allow for flexibility, to incorporate ideas, interests and concerns indicated by the children and/or parents or carers.


  • Regular staff meetings are held for curriculum planning. The curriculum will be clearly documented, and include long-term and short-term plans.


  • The pre-school will implement the key person system. The Key person will be responsible for identifying and assessing the individual needs of children; building on children’s previous experience; maintaining records of their learning, achievements and development; drawing up individual learning plans for each child; and liaising with parents about their child’s progress and development.  The curriculum will reflect the needs of the child, as informed by the children’s individual learning plans.


  • Individual learning plans are kept for each child in the group, and parents or carers of the child are encouraged to contribute to its content. These plans are the property of the child and his/her parents and will be given to them when s/he leaves the group. Information will not be disclosed to any other person without consent.


  • We recognise that parents are the child’s first educators and aim to work in partnership with them to include the children’s learning at home. Parents and carers are given information about the Foundation Stage and the topics we are covering, and are invited to share their child’s experiences at home with the pre-school.