Last updated: 06 May 2009

The EYFS is a comprehensive framework which sets the standards for learning, development, and care of children from birth to five. Effective learning opportunities require planning and organisation. All early years settings in England that receive nursery education grant funding are required to plan learning opportunities in line with the Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

The EYFS offers great flexibility. However, early years practitioners may need to adapt activities in order to meet the particular needs of new arrivals. This section provides guidance on how you might do this.

The EYFS is based on four themes:

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.

Areas of learning and development and early learning goals

The EYFS is organised into six areas of learning and development:

• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication, language and literacy
• Problem solving, numeracy and reasoning
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Physical development
• Creative development

Early learning goals have been identified within the areas of learning and development. Children will be at different stages towards achieving these goals, depending on their age and stage of development.

A range of guidance has been produced to help practitioners plan to meet the diverse needs of all children so that most will achieve and some, where appropriate, will go beyond the early learning goals by the end of the foundation stage.