Foundation Stage

All children aged 4 (and most aged 3) are entitled to free part-time education in one of the following places:

• State primary schools (nursery and reception classes)
• State and private nursery schools
• Day nurseries
• Playgroups
• Accredited childminders in approved childminding networks

Any child attending a government-funded nursery, pre-school or reception class will be registered for the Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum and will be taught by staff who will focus on the Early Learning Goals - the targets that children are expected to reach at the end of this stage. The Foundation Stage is a distinct period of learning, where children will learn the basic skills of listening and speaking, counting and stories, singing and dancing - all through active play. Although this a guided learning experience, children will feel that they're just playing and having fun.

The Early Learning Goals

The early learning goals of the Foundation Stage consist of six broad areas of learning:

1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children will learn to:

• be self-confident
• know what their own needs are
• tell the difference between right and wrong
• take an interest in things
• dress and undress themselves

2. Communication, Language and Literacy

Children will learn to:

• talk confidently and clearly
• enjoy stories, songs and poems
• listen to and say sounds, and link them to the alphabet
• use a pencil
• read and write some familiar words

3. Mathematical Development

Children will:

• become comfortable with numbers
• develop an understanding of maths through games, stories, songs and imaginative play
• become comfortable with ideas such as 'lighter than' or 'smaller'
• become aware of shapes and space

4. Knowledge and Understanding of the World

Children will:

• find out about the world around them
• learn to ask questions about the world
• build with different materials
• learn about everyday technology and what it is used for
• find out about past events in their lives and their families' lives
• discover different cultures and beliefs

5. Physical Development

Children will learn to:

• move confidently
• control their body
• handle equipment

6. Creative Development

Children will:

• explore colours and shapes
• make music
• dance
• make things
• tell stories

The Foundation Stage Profile

The Foundation Stage Profile is a national scheme that enables teachers to record a child's achievements of the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Foundation Stage. This is not a formal assessment - merely a summary of the observations made of a child's activities throughout the Reception Year.