The Foundation Stage
For each of these key areas of learning, there are a number of specific 'early learning goals'. The early learning goals describe the standards that most young children can be expected to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage and will be discussed with you as your child progresses through Nursery and Kindergarten. A Foundation Stage Profile for each child indicates the goals which have been reached, exceeded, or still to be worked on. At the end of the Foundation Stage, the profile helps the Year One teacher to understand the child and plan the Year One curriculum.
The Foundation Stage begins at the start of the term after a child's third birthday and is completed at the end of the summer term of the school year in which their fifth birthday occurs. This is the end of the Kindergarten year at St Mary's. Children become eligible for funding from the start of the term after the term in which their third birthday occurs. It is paid for six terms and received directly by the school.
All settings which receive public funding must observe the framework of the Foundation Stage and everyone working in the Foundation Stage must have appropriate training and development in early years education.
The Early Years Foundation Stage of learning is based on six key areas of learning: -
- personal, social, and emotional development
- communication, language and literacy
- problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
- knowledge and understanding of the world
- physical development
- creative development
