🧸 The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for Nursery and Reception

Nursery and Reception at Cottesbrooke

At Cottesbrooke Infant & Nursery School, we understand how important the early years are in laying the foundations for a child’s future learning, wellbeing and success.

Our Nursery and Reception classes make up the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) — a unique and vital phase of education where children learn through exploration, play, and relationships with others.

We believe young children learn best in an environment where they feel safe, nurtured and inspired. That’s why we place a strong emphasis on building secure attachments, developing independence, and supporting children’s personal, social and emotional growth.

🌱 The Early Years Framework

The EYFS is a statutory framework set by the government for all children from birth to age five. It sets out the standards for learning, development and care, and helps ensure that every child:

• learns and develops well

• is kept healthy and safe

• is supported to become confident and ready for the next stage in their education

At Cottesbrooke, we deliver the EYFS curriculum through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning, with carefully planned opportunities for play, exploration and discovery — both indoors and outdoors.

🎯 The Areas of Learning

There are seven Areas of Learning in the EYFS, grouped into:

The Three Prime Areas (which form the foundation for all learning):

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Communication and Language

• Physical Development

The Four Specific Areas (which build on the prime areas):

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the World (including elements of science, history, geography, RE and technology)

• Expressive Arts and Design

Each area has its own Early Learning Goals, which describe what most children are expected to achieve by the end of Reception. Some children will go beyond these goals, while others will still be working towards them — and that’s okay. We celebrate every step of progress.

🧩 How Children Learn

Children at this age don’t separate work from play — and neither do we. We provide:

• rich, meaningful play opportunities

• small group and whole class teaching

• carefully planned adult interactions

• space for children to follow their own interests and develop independence

Our staff observe, reflect and respond to each child’s needs, ensuring learning is personalised, purposeful and joyful.

We also value the role of families as children’s first and most enduring educators. We build strong partnerships with parents and carers to ensure a smooth, supportive journey through the early years.