| Foundation Stage |
The foundation stage curriculum is organised into six areas of learning:
• personal, social and emotional development;
• communication, language and literacy;
• mathematical development;
• knowledge and understanding of the world;
• physical development;
• creative development;
One experience may provide a child with opportunities to develop a number of competencies, skills and concepts across several areas of learning. |
| Personal, social and emotional development |
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| "Successful personal, social and emotional development is critical for very young children in all aspects of their lives and gives them the best opportunity for success in all other areas of learning. It is crucial that settings provide the experiences and support to enable children to develop a positive sense of themselves." |
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| Communication, language and literacy |
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| "This area of learning includes communication, speaking and listening in different situations and for different purposes, being read a wide range of books and reading simple texts and writing for a variety of purposes." |
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| Mathematical development |
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| "This area of learning includes counting, sorting, matching, seeking patterns, making connections, recognising relationships and working with numbers, shapes, space and measures. Mathematical understanding should be developed through stories, songs, games and imaginative play, so that children enjoy using and experimenting with numbers, including numbers larger than 10." |
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| Knowledge and understanding of the world |
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| "In this area of learning, children are developing the crucial knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world. This forms the foundation for later work in science, design and technology, history, geography, and information and communication technology (ICT)." |
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| Physical development |
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| "Physical development in the foundation stage is about improving skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. Physical development has two other very important aspects. It helps children gain confidence in what they can do and enables them to feel the positive benefits of being healthy and active. Effective physical development helps children develop a positive sense of well-being." |
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| Creative development |
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| "Creativity is fundamental to successful learning. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extend their understanding. This area of learning includes art, music, dance, role play and imaginative play." |
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