Between birth and the age of 5 years (or the end of the reception class at school) all children will be cared for within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
As your childminder, it is my responsibility to fulfil the requirements of the EYFS and ensure that your child receives the best possible level of care and education, and therefore I will be implementing all aspect of the EYFS in my childminding.
You, as the parent, are your child's first and best educator and you know more about your child than anyone else. Therefore, I want to involve you in this important step in your child's care and education as much as possible. We need to work closely and I would like to feel that you could come and talk to me at any time to discuss your child's progress and let me know what they are doing at home.
The EYFS is based around four themes:
- A Unique Child
- Positive Relationships
- Enabling Environments
- Learning and Development
Each theme is linked to an important principle:
A Unique Child
Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
Positive Relationships
Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
Enabling Environments
The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning.
Learning and Development
Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected.
When working within the EYFS it is my responsibility to ensure that my practice reflects all of the above – whether it be in doing a daily risk assessment of my home to ensure your child's safety or spending time planning activities to help promote your child's development and learning.
My work as a childminder follows the EYFS and also uses the Every Child Matters agenda that recognises that the years from birth to five years sees the greatest growth and learning for all children who all deserve:
- Good health
- To be happy
- To feel safe
- To enjoy and achieve
- To make a positive contribution to the world around them
- To be successful
I look forward to working with you to ensure that I deliver the EYFS to your child in such a way that they spend a happy and fulfilled time whilst in my care.
