The Early Years Curriculum

During their time in Reception the children will follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. This is a curriculum designed for children aged 0 to 5 years and is made up of 7 key areas of learning and development. Each day we provide a balance of child initiated and adult led activities.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning

The Characteristics of Effective Learning describe behaviours children use in order to learn. To learn well, children must approach opportunities with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm. Effective learning must be meaningful to a child, so that they are able to use what they have learned and apply it in new situations. These abilities and attitudes of strong learners will support them to learn well and make good progress in all the Areas of Learning and Development.

The Areas of Learning and Development affect each other. For example, developing communication and language will support children to understand and explain mathematical ideas. Developing physical skills will allow children to be more active explorers and so enhance their progress in Understanding the World. The more concepts they develop within Understanding the World, the more they will be able to relate to what they find in books and so support their development in Literacy. Experiences and activities that relate to Areas of Learning and Development, when they offer children opportunities to have autonomy and develop their own ideas, can also provide the contexts for children to practise their learning behaviours, and so reinforce the Characteristics of Effective Learning.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning in action at St. Anthony’s:

The Early Learning Goals

The Early Learning Goals (ELGs) are the goals or targets children are expected to achieve at the end of their reception year. They are not the curriculum, but an end point measure of what a child should be demonstrating at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are 17 ELGs across all the areas of learning as shown below.