Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Core principles and practice that you adapt to suit children’s individual development from birth to five years.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) topics
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Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework
You can use these materials to support learning, development and care for children from birth-to-five years. You will find the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) along with advice on how to implement it, including detailed information on welfare and staffing. This also includes colourful display posters and cards that you can print out and use for reference in your Early Years setting.
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About the themes and principles
Find out about the principles of the four themes of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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Child development overview
Find out about the six phases of child development from birth to five years across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). You can use these to identify children’s development, monitor their progress and plan activities for your Early Years settings.
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Statutory framework for the EYFS
This resource provides the statutory framework for setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five years in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). You can use the framework to lay secure foundations in your Early Years setting and to help you plan around the individual needs and interests of each child.
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Practice for the EYFS
Find out about setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five years. See how you can meet the requirements of the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework and find useful advice and detailed information on supporting children’s learning and development and welfare.
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Early Years Foundation Stage poster
You can display this colourful poster showing the four principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in your Early Years setting as a useful reference point.
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Principles into practice cards
You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.
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1 A unique child
Improve your understanding and practice of this principle and its four commitments, across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The principle for a unique child is: Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
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1.1 Child development
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding child development across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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1.2 Inclusive practice
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding inclusive practice across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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1.3 Keeping safe
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in keeping safe across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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1.4 Health and well-being
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding health and well-being across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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Principles into practice cards
You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.
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2 Positive relationships
Improve your understanding and practice of this principle and its four commitments, across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The principle for positive relationships is: Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
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2.1 Respecting each other
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding 'respecting each other' across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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2.2 Parents as partners
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in working with parents as partners across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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2.3 Supporting learning
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in supporting learning across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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2.4 Key person
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding the role of the 'key person' across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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Principles into practice cards
You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.
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3 Enabling environments
Improve your understanding and practice of this principle and its four commitments, across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The principle for enabling environments is: The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning.
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3.1 Observation, assessment and planning
Observation, assessment and planning all support children's development and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Planning starts with observing children in order to understand and consider their current interests, development and learning. This focus area is structured to help you carry out this process effectively with clear directions, definitions and case studies.
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3.2 Supporting every child
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in supporting every child across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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3.3 The learning environment
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding the learning environment across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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3.4 The wider context
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding the impact of the wider context across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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Principles into practice cards
You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.
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4 Learning and development
Improve your understanding and practice of this principle and its four commitments. The principle for learning and development is: Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected.
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4.1 Play and exploration
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding play and exploration across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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4.2 Active learning
This area features research and resources to support effective practice in understanding active learning across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
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4.3 Creativity and critical thinking
Improve your understanding of creativity and critical thinking in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This focus area is structured to help you plan, deliver and monitor your support with clear development pathways and definitions.
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4.4 Areas of learning and development
This list explains how learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is divided into six areas: personal development, communication skills, numeracy, understanding the world, physical development and creative development. Supporting all of these will help you give the children in your care the best start in life.
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Principles into practice cards
You can use these colourful reference cards to help you put the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles into practice. The cards show the four principle themes of child development, each of which is supported by four commitments that describe how the principle can be put into practice.
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Starting with the Child: Observation, Assessing and Planning in the EYFS
Starting with the Child draws together a range of resources which local authority trainers, including Early Years Consultants, can use in a flexible manner to provide tailored training for all practitioners in the EYFS. It draws together existing resources about observation, assessment and planning and also best practice examples from local authorities.
