• The English National Curriculum
• Numeracy
• Literacy
• The International Primary Curriculum
• Early Years Foundation Stage
• English Support Lessons
• Extra-Curricular Activities

Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supports and encourages every child in becoming a competent learner who will be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.  The Early Learning Goals within the EYFS Framework build the secure foundations required for worthwhile learning experiences in our children’s future lives.  

 

The Early Years is a period of rapid growth and development, during which children discover a great deal about the world around them and themselves.  Early experiences are critical in developing concepts, skills and attitudes.  These experiences can be positively influenced by adult relationships at home and school. 

 

Early education helps to nurture social, intellectual and physical well being, and thereby helps to equip children with the positive attitudes and habits of learning needed to embark on future education and life ahead.

 

Hyundai Foreign School’s EYFS Philosophy

In the Early Years we understand the nature and needs of young children and how they learn.  We recognise that children need to feel secure, valued and confident.  We believe that children are active, independent learners and that each child is an individual who joins our school with a range of previous experiences to build upon.

 

We recognise the importance of careful adult involvement and understand that an invaluable strong partnership is required between children’s parent(s) and their carers.

 

Hyundai Foreign School’s EYFS Purpose and Aims

At Hyundai Foreign School, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) begins in our FS1 class for children aged between 3 and 4 years and ends in our FS2 class for children aged between 4 and 5 years. 

In our EYFS we believe that strong foundations built in these early years of a child’s development are of utmost importance when creating a secure base for continuous developments in a child’s learning.  We aim to provide a healthy and safe environment where children are able to enjoy and achieve whilst they learn and develop.

We believe that exploring through play is at the very centre of children’s learning.  We aim to nurture children’s natural curiosity and thirst for learning, and guide this appropriately.  We wish for all our children to enjoy their early learning experiences and develop a positive attitude toward school where they will build confidence to explore, investigate and make sense of the world.

 

To achieve this we aim for:

• Learning to be fun.
• Children to have access to a variety of play experiences throughout all areas of the curriculum.
• Children to be challenged and to be given opportunities to investigate.
• Children to have ownership of their learning through self-selected activities.
• Children to actively take part in new learning opportunities.
• Children to be given freedom of choice of carefully planned activities in order to develop intrinsic learners.
• Children to be given opportunities to develop a range of skills such as speaking, listening, discussing, co-operating and sharing.

 

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

In the EYFS department at Hyundai Foreign School we follow the, Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage published in March 2007 by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), for use in English schools and other early years settings.  The framework is for care, learning and development of children in early years’ schools from birth to the age of 5. 

 

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage has four themes which express important principles underpinning effective practice in the care, development and learning of young children.  Each principle is supported by four commitments which describe how the principle can be put into practice. 

 

The four Themes and Principles of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are;

1. A Unique Child:  Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
2. Positive Relationships:  Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
3. Enabling Environments:  The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.
4. Learning and Development: Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected.

These Themes and Principles form the foundations for the EYFS curriculum at Hyundai Foreign School. 

 

Within Point 4, Learning and Development which is contained in the Themes and Principles above, there are six areas which are all connected and have equal importance.  These six areas state the specific Early Learning Goals that each child is expected to achieve by the time they leave Reception at Hyundai Foreign School.  These Early Learning Goals set the standards for learning and achievement within the EYFS at Hyundai Foreign School.  The six areas of learning and development within our curriculum are;

1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development
2. Communication, Language and Literacy
3. Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
4. Knowledge and Understanding of the World
5. Physical Development
6. Creative Development

More information on the six areas of learning and development can be read on the stakeholders’ information display boards near the EYFS classrooms and in the framework itself. 

 

At HFS we plan and provide a relevant, broad and balanced curriculum for all of our children.  Children’s learning experiences can range from independent, self-selected activities to directed and teacher-led activities. We recognise the importance of careful adult involvement.  We value the contribution made by parents/carers and work closely, in partnership with them.

 

Learning and Teaching Approaches in the EYFS

In the EYFS department, we believe that the six areas of learning stated above, together make up the skills, knowledge and experiences appropriate for children as they grow, learn and develop.  We endeavor to provide well-planned activities for all children regardless of social or cultural background.  We believe that it is of paramount importance for children of this age, that everything is linked and nothing is compartmentalised.  Therefore the learning and teaching methods constantly provide opportunities for children to develop and learn in every area.  We also ensure that our children’s learning and development occurs as an outcome of their individual interests and abilities.

 

We realise that children learn in a variety of ways so within our teaching and learning methods, we accommodate all learners, including auditory, visual and kinaesthetic learners.  We also understand that all children learn and develop at different levels and need challenging or supporting in a variety of areas.  Through our differentiated activities we ensure coverage suits and satisfies all learners. 

 

Where children have special needs, be them gifted and talented, English as a second language or learning difficulties, we set individual targets to ensure the EYFS curriculum fulfils all children in all areas of learning and development.  In addition to individual targets, Individual Education or Behavioural Plans (IEP or IBP’s) may be used at the teacher’s discretion in certain circumstances.  When children in the Reception class are learning English as a Second Language (ESL) for the first time, extra ESL lessons are provided when the teacher considers them necessary.

 

We strive to provide the enriched and exciting learning opportunities for all our classes in the EYFS.  When appropriate we will do our utmost to organise fieldtrips which suitably link to the children’s learning goals.