Discover, Learn, Grow!

As an early years child care provider, we are committed to delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage or EYFS. This is a comprehensive set of learning criteria for any child between birth and the age of 5.

Because of the young age of children in the baby, toddler and preschool range, most of that learning is delivered through play and games. These activities are used to encourage the development of a range of physical and mental skills.

There are seven areas covered in the curriculum and these are:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

The central tenet of the EYFS curriculum revolves around basic themes that should come together to provide the best start for a young child. These are that each child is unique and if they are exposed to positive relationships and enabling environments this will improve their capability of learning and development.

Of course, we’re not expecting a four year old to understand abstract theories such as algebra, but the preschool age is certainly the right time to be learning about numbers and words. In the right environment, children develop remarkably quickly between the time they are born and the fifth year when they are about to start school.

The positive role a good nursery can play in complementing the learning and development that is going on at home cannot be underestimated. A key part of the Early Years Foundation Stage is realising that not all children grow and develop at the same pace or in the same way. There has to be flexibility on the part of those providing the education.

At Armadillo Nurseries, we’re committed to delivering the EYFS in a fun and practical way. We see each child as an individual and work to bring flexibility and creativity into every aspect of how we help them learn. We do this for each of the seven areas covered by the curriculum.

For example, the personal, social and emotional area involves helping children to feel positive about themselves and develop relationships and respect for others. Communication and language involves helping children to gain confidence in expressing themselves.

All our trained professional practitioners use the EYFS guidelines and curriculum to ensure that every child in their care is getting the best start in life. It’s not just about us, however. We work closely with all our parents so, if you have any concerns or even new ideas for activities, you are welcome to let us know.

You can find out about the Early Years Foundation Stage in greater detail here.