At Barrowcliff School we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework which is divided into 7 areas:

We want all our children to have a love for learning and a healthy curiosity about the world around them, so we foster the ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ which are:

Every child is unique and develops and learns in different ways. We want all our children to be strong, independent, resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. They need to develop positive relationships with other children and adults in order to learn from each other through challenging, playful opportunities, across all areas of learning and development.

In order to make all this possible the staff:

• Understand and observe each child’s development and learning, assess progress and plan for next steps
• Identify any need for additional support
• Value and respect all children and families equally
• Foster a sense of belonging through warm relationships
• Respond sensitively to the child’s needs, feelings and interests
• Support children’s own efforts and independence
• Set clear and consistent boundaries
• Provide stimulating resources relevant to all the children’s cultures and communities
• Create rich learning opportunities through play and playful teaching
• Provide support for children to take risks and explore

The aim is for all children to achieve the Early Learning Goals (see table below), as set out in the EYFS framework, in order to reach a Good Level of Development at the end of their time in their Reception class.