This is an approach which applies to everyone responsible for the care and education of babies and young children, including schools, nurseries and childminders. It recognises the stages of children's development from birth, to the end of their first school year in reception.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) describes how early years practitioners should work with children and their families to support their development and learning.
The four principles underpinning this are:
- a unique child
- positive relationships
- enabling environments
- learning and developing
The EYFS recognises the importance of the partnership between early years practitioners and parents and carers. It offers guidance on effective learning and teaching to provide an appropriate curriculum for:
- personal, social and emotional development
- communication, language and literacy
- problem solving, reasoning and numeracy (formally mathematical development)
- physical development
- creative development
Who are the Early Years Advisory Team?
The advisory team is a group of early years teachers who support practitioners in all private, voluntary and independent settings that receive the three and four-year-old nursery funding in Hammersmith & Fulham. They also support nursery and reception classes in schools.
The team supports early years practitioners, enabling them to:
- promote learning through play and first-hand experiences
- work in partnership with parents, carers and the wider community
- use the Early Years Foundation Stage
- provide relevant learning opportunities that meet the diverse needs of all children
- evaluate their practice for Ofsted inspections and quality assurance
- identify and meet their training needs
The advisory team gives this support by training and working alongside practitioners in their centres.
Contact us
You can contact the advisory team at eyfservice@lbhf.gov.uk