An easy way for Early Years Practitioners to find out about the EYFS
When recruiting new employees or having new students, it is important that everyone is familiar with the EYFS. As the EYFS covers many aspects, it is far easier to understand these elements if they are broken down. If employees are fairly new to childcare, it is often the case that they are not fully familiar with the whole EYFS, same for employees that have been out of childcare for several years. As Ofsted will be asking questions relating to aspects of the EYFS. it is good practice to regularly familiarise early years practitioners and students with what the EYFS is. There is a great EYFS training slideshow available here which can be used as part of the induction process for all new employees to ensure they know the basic’s about the early years foundation stage.
To make it easier for everyone why not create a display in each room on the EYFS and within this cover the subjects such as
- British Values
- Characteristics of Effective Learning
- Seven areas of Learning – Prime and Specific
- Leuven Scales – Scales of emotional well-being and scales of involvement levels
This display will enable early years practitioners and students to revisit and refresh their knowledge. It will also demonstrate to Ofsted that you understand the EYFS and that you are enhancing practitioners knowledge.
Information on your display can be of posters such as what the British Values are and how you should be actively promoting each value in practice. Many practitioners and managers still to this today worry over what the British Values are. Having a poster situated in the room will regularly remind early years practitioners what British Values are.
Giving practitioners a simple but effective explanation of the EYFS will help with their practice. For example understanding what the Leuven Scales are will help early years practitioners evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and it will also enable practitioners to observe and evaluate children’s emotional well-being.