Early Years Foundation Stage - Exemptions and Modifications
THE STATUTORY EYFS AND EXEMPTIONS
The Statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Birth – 5 years, applies to all settings including ours. It sets out both learning and development requirements and safeguarding and welfare requirements for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday. You can find out more about how we meet the requirements of the EYFS in the EYFS/Steiner Interpretation and Read-over and other documents below. You can also find a Parent’s guide to the EYFS on the government website http://www.foundationyears.org.uk
Because there are areas which conflict with Steiner Waldorf early childhood principles and practice, we have received some ‘Exemptions and Modifications’ to the EYFS Learning and Development requirements and Assessment regulations under the ‘Established Principles’ route for Steiner Waldorf settings. These are mostly to do with the introduction and in some cases formal teaching of reading, writing, mathematics and use of IT/media and electronic gadgetry. There is no exemption from the safeguarding and welfare requirements. (See list of Exemptions and Modifications by clicking the link below).
5-7 CURRICULUM
Children over 5 are of statutory school age, and should be attending kindergarten full time (in full time education). We recognise that they need a more challenging experience, including raised expectations from the adults in the setting and a programme of work appropriate to their age, (Key Stage 1 in other school settings). In a Steiner school ‘formal education’ begins in Class 1. While there will be some activities and projects specifically for the 5 & 6 year olds, what is of paramount importance are the staff’s higher expectations of the older children relating to collaborating and contributing to the kindergarten community in a structured and reliable way.
We have now collated all of this into curriculum documents for those children of statutory school age. This shows progression from the EYFS, differentiation, what we expect of the older children and what and how they will learn through the curriculum provided. These documents are available here.
Parents will be kept informed of their child’s developmental progress throughout their time in the kindergarten and will be asked to contribute to the observations and information about their child. (See policy on Observations and Assessment).
For more information about our exemptions and modifications and about how we interpret the Early Learning Goals in our setting, please click below.
The Statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Birth – 5 years, applies to all settings including ours. It sets out both learning and development requirements and safeguarding and welfare requirements for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday. You can find out more about how we meet the requirements of the EYFS in the EYFS/Steiner Interpretation and Read-over and other documents below. You can also find a Parent’s guide to the EYFS on the government website http://www.foundationyears.org.uk
Because there are areas which conflict with Steiner Waldorf early childhood principles and practice, we have received some ‘Exemptions and Modifications’ to the EYFS Learning and Development requirements and Assessment regulations under the ‘Established Principles’ route for Steiner Waldorf settings. These are mostly to do with the introduction and in some cases formal teaching of reading, writing, mathematics and use of IT/media and electronic gadgetry. There is no exemption from the safeguarding and welfare requirements. (See list of Exemptions and Modifications by clicking the link below).
5-7 CURRICULUM
Children over 5 are of statutory school age, and should be attending kindergarten full time (in full time education). We recognise that they need a more challenging experience, including raised expectations from the adults in the setting and a programme of work appropriate to their age, (Key Stage 1 in other school settings). In a Steiner school ‘formal education’ begins in Class 1. While there will be some activities and projects specifically for the 5 & 6 year olds, what is of paramount importance are the staff’s higher expectations of the older children relating to collaborating and contributing to the kindergarten community in a structured and reliable way.
We have now collated all of this into curriculum documents for those children of statutory school age. This shows progression from the EYFS, differentiation, what we expect of the older children and what and how they will learn through the curriculum provided. These documents are available here.
Parents will be kept informed of their child’s developmental progress throughout their time in the kindergarten and will be asked to contribute to the observations and information about their child. (See policy on Observations and Assessment).
For more information about our exemptions and modifications and about how we interpret the Early Learning Goals in our setting, please click below.