EYFS Statutory framework for the early Years Foundation Stage:

Published 31st March 2021 (Effective 1st September 2021)

Early Learning Goals

Communication and Language

ELG: Listening, Attention and Understanding

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• 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 

Children at the expected level of development will:

•  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. 

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

 ELG: Self-Regulation

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly;
• Set and work towards simple goals, being able to wait for what they want and control their immediate impulses when appropriate;
• Give focused attention to what the teacher says, responding appropriately even when engaged in activity, and show an ability to follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.

ELG: Managing Self

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• Be confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge
• Explain the reasons for rules, know right from wrong and try to behave accordingly
• Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices.

ELG: Building Relationships

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Work and play cooperatively and take turns with others
• Form positive attachments to adults and friendships with peers
• Show sensitivity to their own and to others’ needs. 

Physical Development

ELG: Gross Motor Skills 

Children at the expected level of development will: 

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

ELG: Fine Motor Skills

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases
• Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paint brushes and cutlery
• Begin to show accuracy and care when drawing. 

Literacy

ELG: Comprehension

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• 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

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• 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

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• 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

Mathematics

ELG: Number

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• 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

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• 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

Understanding the World

ELG: Past and Present

Children at the expected level of development will: 

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

ELG: People, Culture and Communities 

Children at the expected level of development will:

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

ELG: The Natural World 

Children at the expected level of development will:

• 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. 

Expressive Arts and Design

ELG: Creating with Materials

Children at the expected level of development will: 

•  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. 

ELG: Being Imaginative and Expressive

Children at the expected level of development will: 

• Invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers and their teacher;
•  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.

Autumn  Marvellous Me and Once Upon a Rhyme

As the children start school we begin by exploring the topic Marvellous Me. We will be learning about; who is in our family, what we like to eat, what toys we like to play with and considering the emotions we feel.  The children share treasure boxes they have made at home and talk about what is important to them. We learn to draw ourselves and paint pictures of our faces. The children will be thinking about themselves and considering how they are similar and different to their friends. We will share about our family celebrations and traditions.

Our learning journey will continue as we then begin to explore Nursery Rhymes, which begins with solving  the Queen of Hearts missing tart problem. To celebrate our lovely learning we come together and enjoy a Jam Tart Tea Party, with family and friends, with jam tarts all hand-made by the children.

We encourage the children to share their favourite Nursery Rhyme with us and we talk about the characters  and share how they may be feeling. We think about ways to help Little Bo Peep to stop loosing her sheep. Leading into our grand finale of Nursery Rhyme dress up day before we embark on the Christmas journey. 

Questions we'll be asking:

• Who's in your family?
• Who do you love? 
• What is your favourite toy? Why?
• How do you feel? 
• Can you sing your favourite nursery rhyme?
• How do you make jam tarts?
• Which character will you pretend to be?
• How could we help Little Bo-Peep to stop losing her sheep?
• Where do we post a letter in Broadwater?
• Who's birthday do we celebrate at Christmas? 

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Trips

There are many ways in which we will be enriching the learning of your child...

• Going on a school tour
• Going on a trip to Broadwater
• Taking part in performing the Nativity 

Other activities include...

• Dressing up as a nursery rhyme character
• Making jam tarts and having a tea party for children and parents
• Coming to school in pyjamas for stories!

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Supporting your child

Learn Together

How many Nursery rhymes can you learn together by heart?

Do Together

• Play games, do jigsaws
• Use construction toys to make Humpty Dumpty and a wall
• Draw, paint or collage a nursery rhyme character

Explore Together

• Look at your baby photos. Talk about how you have changed.
• Talk to your grandparents and discover similarities and differences between you and them.

Spring 1 - Help Me!

Our topic begins when we find letters in our classroom. They say Help me! Our learning journey develops as we try to find out who needs help and why. The children think about when they have needed help and who helps them. We continue this theme as we learn about people in our community who help us. Parents and friends of the school are invited to come and talk to the children about their jobs and how they help people. Eventually the children discover who sent them the letters. He is lost and needs help to get home. We become animal experts and are challenged by a superhero called Girl Lightning to help our lost animal return home. We discover that we are all superheroes and have God-given talents and abilities.

Spring 2 - Under the Ground

Ever wondered what lurks beneath? During this term we endeavour to find out all about what is under the ground. We begin with a stunning start, a darkened classroom and a mound of soil…what can the children find in the soil. We share all the different things we know about and we learn even more. We share fiction and non-fiction books and learn how to build a class Wormery. We all go digging for worms in the garden. We talk about and compare the length of the worms we find.

This leads nicely into the next part of our learning…when we read ‘Oliver’s vegetables’. We investigate what vegetables need to grow.  As a class we embrace our British Values and take a vote to decide on soup flavours, before embarking on a morning of soup making, followed by, an afternoon of soup tasting…mmmm.

The learning follows a path to The Enormous Turnip where we share a variety of different versions of this well known story.

Questions we'll be asking:

• Who helps us?
• How many different ways can we travel?
• What can I do when I feel sad?
• Which countries are cold?
• What materials could I use to make a vehicle?
• Why do we have maps?
• What makes me a superhero?
• What is Chinese New Year? How is it celebrated?

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Trips

There are many ways in which we will be enriching the curriculum this term:

• A trip/visit to the fire station

Other activities include...

• Visits from people who help us
• Celebrating Chinese New Year
• Designing my own superhero character and creating the costume for Superhero dress up day
• Making vegetable soup
• Making a wormery 

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Supporting your child

Come and help in the classroom. We would be delighted to see you; even it’s only half an hour in the mornings or afternoons to support individual reading.

Please read with your child daily and play word games related to reading lists sent home.

If you want to do more, here are some ideas …

Explore Together

• http://www.ictgames.com
• http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home

Do Together

• Play games, do jigsaws
• Use construction toys to build a vehicle
• Draw, paint or collage different vehicles
• Investigate floating and sinking at bath time

Read Together

Any stories about people who help us and vehicles including:

• Duck in a truck – Jez Alborough
• Mr Gumpy books – John Burningham
• The Train Ride – June Crebbin

You could find out about famous people who have helped us.

Summer 1 - Out of the egg!

Our topic begins when we are brought a basket of eggs and a copy of the story book Oh Dear! We are then challenged to find out about eggs. We set about finding out as much information about eggs as we can. We start by asking lots of questions… What comes out of an egg? How many ways can you eat eggs? Who has eggs for breakfast? We continue to learn about healthy food and the importance of a balanced diet.

Our learning journey gets even more exciting when we have real eggs to look after in our classroom. We write our own non-fiction books to share our experiences about what happens when our eggs hatch. As we discover what emerges from our eggs, our learning then provides an opportunity to find out and learn how to look after a living animal.

Questions we'll be asking:

• What comes out of an egg?
• How many different ways can we eat eggs?
• How do we care for eggs and the animal that hatches from them?
• What is a healthy breakfast?
• Why do we need an incubator?
• How do eggs change when they are cooked?

Summer 2 - Fantastic Farms

Our topic begins with a trip to the farm where we think about why there are farms. The questions we ask will determine the direction of our work, we will explore different animals and the foods they produce.  Leading us to look at traditional tales like; 'Farmer Duck' and 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff.'  Towards the end of the term we complete a unit of work to support smooth transition into year 1.

Questions we'll be asking:

• Why do we have cows on a farm?
• What are cows used for around the world?
• What can we do with milk?
• What would we have on our own farm? 
• Where does food come from?
• How do we feel about change? 
• Who can we talk to if we are worried? 

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Enrichment Activities

There are many ways in which we will be enriching the curriculum this term:

• Looking after eggs/chicks and ducklings (Please keep this a secret, we will find out what is inside our eggs when they hatch!)
• Tasting eggs cooked in different ways.
• Sharing our non-fiction books.
• A trip to the farm.
• Visit to the Year 1 classrooms and meet the teacher.

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Supporting your child

• Please continue to upload observations to the ILD. We have sent home the Early learning goals (expected level of attainment for the end of early years) so you can use these to guide your observations.

How can you join in?

• Please read with your child daily making at least weekly comments in the CAPER diary
• Play word games related to reading/spelling lists
• Continue to make regular observations on the ILD

If you want to do more, here are some ideas…

Explore Together

• http://www.ictgames.com
• http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home

Do Together

• Play games, do jigsaws
• Use construction toys to build a hen house
• Draw, paint or collage different creatures that come out of eggs
• Look for signs of Spring/Summer
• Visit the library

Read Together

Any stories about eggs – non-fiction and fiction including:

• Green Eggs and Ham and other Dr Seuss books
• Rosie’s walk by Pat Hutchins
• Daisy and the Egg by Jane Simmons
• The Ugly Duckling