At Farne Primary School, we greatly value the importance of the Early Years Foundation Stage in providing a secure foundation for future learning and development. 

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old.

In the early years of your child’s life play is crucial to their development and learning. Playing and talking are the means through which young children learn about themselves and the world around them. At Farne Primary School, children in the Early Years are offered a variety of play provision.

We also have an outdoor learning environment, which is available everyday – whatever the weather! The children learn through a carefully planned programme of structured play. Each day the children are able to choose from a range of play activities. They will be encouraged to work with staff at small group ‘focus’ activities and will all participate in some short, whole class activities. Staff work alongside the children and are able to adjust teaching to meet the needs of individual children. As children progress through the Early Years the level of focus activities and whole class teaching gradually increases, although learning through play is still central. Planned activities provide opportunities for children to explore, investigate and learn through first hand experiences and children are encouraged to become independent and confident. Through the curriculum, children work towards meeting the Early Learning Goals (ELGs).

Learning and Development (Curriculum)

We follow ‘Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework’ and work towards a set of statements called the ‘Early Learning Goals’. Each child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving. These are the ‘Prime Areas’. These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning. At this stage in their development special attention is paid to speaking and listening as this lays down a solid foundation for future and further learning.

The seven areas of learning and development that shape our Early Years curriculum. These are split into two important and interconnected sections – prime and specific:  

The ‘prime’ areas of learning and development are: 

• Communication and language: 

• Listening, attention and understanding  

• Speaking  

• Physical development:  
• Gross motor skills 
• Fine motor skills 

• Personal, social and emotional development: 

• Self-regulation 
• Managing self 
• Building relationships 

The ‘specific’ areas of learning and development are: 

• Literacy: 

• Comprehension 
• Word reading 
• Writing  

• Mathematics: 

• Numbers 

• Numerical patterns 

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• Understanding the world:  

• Past and present 
• People, culture and communities 
• The natural world 

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• Expressive arts and design: 

• Creating with materials 
• Being imaginative and expressive

Characteristics of Effective Learning

In organising and implementing our curriculum, we ensure that a broad range of activities and experiences are planned, having regard to the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning in the EYFS: 

• Playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, use what they know in their play and are willing to try new things.  

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• Active learning – children concentrate, keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy their achievements.  

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• Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and use what they already know to learn new things, and develop strategies for doing things. 

Our Early Years Provision

Our Early Years Provision provides 52 part-time Nursery places (with the option of a full-time place if entitled) and 30 full-time Reception places.

Session Times

In Nursery we offer morning or afternoon places:

Option 1: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri (am) 8.45-11.45am

Option 2: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri (pm) 12pm-3pm

Option 3: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri (full time) 8.45am-3pm

Children in nursery who have a full-time place may bring a healthy packed lunch from home or pay for a school meal.

*Please note a 30 hour childcare code will be required for a full time Nursery Place. Please follow this link for more information: 30 hours free childcare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Funding Process Information (link)

In Reception we offer 30 full-time places:

Our day starts at 8.45am and finishes at 3.10pm

*For further details on admissions to Nursery and Reception please see the admissions section of our website.

Our Early Years Foundation Stage Leader is: Mrs Ainsley

Useful documents and information:

New Intake Meeting 2023/24 parent presentation

A typical day in Reception

A typical day in Nursery

School Uniform Information

Farne Home School Agreement