Early Years Foundation Stage A   child’s   experiences   in   the   earliest   years   of   its   life   are critical   to   their   subsequent   development.   High   quality education   is   a   crucial   step   towards   ensuring   that   all children   arrive   at   primary   or   preparatory   school   ready and   eager   to   learn.   To   plan   a   suitable   curriculum   for our   children   we   use   the   Early   Years   Foundation   Stage, which   recognises   the   holistic   nature   of   development and   learning   and   compliments   our   preferred   method   of education   -   the   Maria   Montessori   approach.   There   are six    areas    that    celebrate    the    skill,    competence    and uniqueness    of    babies    and    young    children    and    pre- school    children    and    highlight    the    inter-relationship between     growth,     learning,     development     and     the environment   in   which   they   are   cared   for   and   educated. Children’s   learning   does   not   fit   neatly   in   compartments and   we   therefore   consider   all   areas   to   plan   effectively for   the   children   in   our   nurseries   and   schools.   Each child     is     different     therefore     we     look     at     them     as individuals. When   we   plan   for   our   youngest   ones   we   bear   in   mind that   children   should   feel   at   home   in   the   nursery.   They are   not   at   school   yet   and   activities   should   be   fun   and optional.    We    provide    a    warm,    caring    environment where   children   have   the   opportunity   to   develop   their, social,    emotional,    language,    creative,    cognitive    and physical   skills.   Children   learn   through   their   senses   by doing    rather    than    by    being    told,    by    being    given appropriate   responsibility   and   allowed   to   make   errors, decisions and choices. As    children    grow    older    their    needs    change    and subsequently   in   our   Montessori   Schools   we   adapt   the environment   accordingly   and   the   activities   we   provide present a greater learning challenge for each child.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development Managing feelings and behaviour Self confidence and self awareness Making relationships Physical Development Moving and handling Health and self-care Communication and Language Listening and attention Understanding Speaking The four specific areas are: Expressive Arts and Design Being imaginative. Exploring and using media and materials. Literacy Reading Writing Understanding the World People and communities The world Technology Mathematics Numbers Shape, space and measurer  

The three prime areas are: