From September 2021, all early years providers must follow the new early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework.
The key aims of the reforms are to:
•improve child outcomes at age 5, particularly in early language and literacy, especially for disadvantaged children; and
•reduce workload, such as unnecessary paperwork, so that practitioners can spend more time interacting with the children in their care.
To support the implementation of the revised EYFS, the Department for Education has developed a new online service for private, voluntary and independent early years settings and childminders. This service provides resources, advice and support to help practitioners to understand the requirements for each area of learning and development and what these requirements mean in practice. The new service is now live on gov.uk and can be accessed here – Prepare for changes to the early years foundation stage framework – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The development of these materials was supported by Pen Green and partner Nursery Schools.
The Department for Education, through the Teaching School Council, has funded Pen Green and partner Nursery Schools to deliver the following online training to provide additional support to eligible private and voluntary sector early years providers. These sessions have been designed to address the most common concerns of providers across the country who responded to our survey.
Recordings of all sessions are now available below.
The session will cover the purpose of the reforms and the requirements of the new Statutory Framework including Ofsted requirements and Development matters. It will then go on to suggest ways in which these requirements can be met.
- This is me – How can we tell a child’s story? A case study from Childhaven Nursery School, where they have developed ‘This is Me’ documentation to engage in conversations with parents about their children’s learning and development. – Kathryn Firth – Childhaven Community Nursery School, Scarborough
- OPAL – ‘Observation of Play and Learning’ is an assessment tool that has been developed by Barnet Early Years Alliance. It aims to put the joy back into observing young children, reduce paperwork and give you back time to spend with children. – Kelly Brooker – Brookhill Nursery School & Children’s Centre, Barnet
- Learning stories – Felicity Dewsbery – Pen Green Centre for Children and Their Families, Corby
Session 1: Overview of the approach to communication in the reformed EYFS, including: EAL, assessment and workload, curriculum planning and working with parents – Julian Grenier – Sheringham Nursery School & Children’s Centre, London
Session 2: The Learning Environment to support Communication and Language – Julie Smith – Peter Pan Nursery School, Bedford
Session 3 & 4: Opportunities for enriching talk with a focus on quality interactions. Exploring reading and vocabulary to support communication and Language – Lesley Curtis and Andrea Vaughan – Everton Nursery School, Liverpool
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