Foundation Stage

The Childcare Bill is going through Parliament in the early part of 2006 with the provision for a single quality framework for children from birth to five (the Early Years Foundation Stage). It is envisaged that both the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the renewed literacy and mathematics frameworks will provide integrated advice to practitioners about supporting children's care, learning and development from birth to the end of the Foundation Stage. A consultation is currently taking place and we welcome your thoughts on how best to achieve the integration. The new arrangements will come into force in 2008. Practitioners should continue to plan and assess on the basis of the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and the Foundation Stage Profile Handbook.

You will notice that we have links to all six areas of learning on this page – these guide you to the information about children's learning and development from birth and should be read in conjunction with the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage which describes how to support children's learning in the Foundation Stage.

In order to support practitioners in developing continuity for children, particularly between the Foundation Stage and Year 1 you will notice additional information around communication, language and literacy and problem solving, reasoning and numeracy which supports the links between the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and the frameworks for literacy and mathematics. Practitioners should continue to use the approaches outlined in Continuing the Learning Journey (QCA 2005). Additional advice on how to use Foundation Stage Profile data is available on www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/features/foundation_stage/fsp_data/

It is, however important to note that all six areas of learning in the Foundation Stage are inter-related and approaches to learning and teaching in the Foundation Stage must match the development and age of the learner. The curriculum planned for the child, the group and the class will be shaped by the principles in the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and the particular needs of individuals and different groups of children.