The Early Years Curriculum
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021 framework
At Holy Trinity, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021 framework, which sets the standards for the learning, development, and care of children in the early years.
The revised framework focuses on helping children build strong foundations in communication, language, personal development, and early literacy and numeracy.
The EYFS is structured around four guiding principles:
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Every child is a unique individual
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Children learn through positive relationships
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Children learn and develop in enabling environments
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Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates
The framework outlines seven areas of learning:
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Prime Areas: Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development
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Specific Areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, Expressive Arts and Design
Equally important are the Characteristics of Effective Learning, which describe how children learn:
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Playing and Exploring – children investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’
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Active Learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties
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Creating and Thinking Critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things
Our curriculum is designed to meet these goals through play-based, hands-on experiences that inspire curiosity, independence, and a love of learning.
We aim to give every child the best possible start to their educational journey.
In our EYFS every child has the right to -
feel safe, valued, and respected by accessing a unique curriculum* that has been designed by our Reception team, based on a secure understanding of where children are and where they need to go in order to progress and achieve.
*The term curriculum is used to describe everything children do, see, hear or feel in their setting - both planned and unplanned" (Curriculum Guidance for the EYFS)
Strong Foundations
The Department for Education’s Strong Foundations: The Importance of the Reception Year report (2023) highlights the crucial role the Reception year plays in building the core skills children need to succeed throughout their education.
It places particular emphasis on secure development in spoken language, phonics, early reading, and mathematics, alongside the need to ensure all children - especially those who are disadvantaged -make strong progress from the very start of school.
At Holy Trinity, we are fully committed to these principles and have embedded them into our Early Years practice. Our carefully planned Reception curriculum is ambitious, engaging, and rooted in high-quality interactions between adults and children. We prioritise spoken language and communication, recognising that strong oral language skills underpin all other learning. Staff model rich vocabulary, encourage meaningful conversations, and provide daily opportunities for children to develop their confidence in speaking and listening.
In addition to subject knowledge, we also recognise the vital role of executive functioning-the mental skills that help children plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks. These skills are critical for learning and self-regulation, and they develop rapidly in the early years.
Through daily routines, turn-taking games, sustained shared thinking, and opportunities for independent exploration, we support children in building working memory and flexible thinking. These skills not only help children access the curriculum but also support their emotional wellbeing and resilience.
By the end of Reception, our aim is for every child to leave with strong foundations, both academically and in terms of their personal development, so they are confident, capable, and ready to thrive in Key Stage 1 and beyond.