Early Years and Foundation Stage

Our youngest children form part of our Early Years and Foundation Stage (EYFS). At the British Overseas School, these are the Pre-Nursery, Nursery, and Reception classes, although in other schools the nomenclature may vary.

According to our British Schools Overseas Report, EYFS is another of the school’s ‘outstanding features’.

In the Pre-Nursery and Nursery classes, in particular, the BOS adopts the philosophy of ‘Learning through Play’ or, perhaps more aptly, ‘Playing to Learn’. We believe that ‘learning’ comes in many different forms and can be found in many different settings. For older children and students, we believe they learn at break time as well as in lessons; we believe they learn on the playing field as well as in classrooms. And as a general rule, children, students, and adults learn best when they are enjoying themselves.

For our younger children, we believe critical aspects of learning at an early age include: independence, getting along with others, building an identity, understanding their physical potential, and communicating effectively. They are best able to learn these skills and comprehend this new knowledge when they are enjoying themselves – ‘Playing to Learn’.

As part of this approach, phonics is introduced in a playful, engaging way. Through songs, rhymes, and games, children begin to recognize the sounds of letters and connect them with corresponding words and objects. Phonetic activities are embedded in the play environment, allowing children to learn sounds in a natural, interactive context.

In the Pre-Nursery and Nursery years, while formal reading instruction is not the focus, emergent literacy skills are nurtured through daily interactions. Teachers foster a love of stories and books through storytelling, song, and shared reading sessions. Children begin to understand that words carry meaning and are encouraged to interact with books by turning pages, pointing to pictures, and beginning to recognize familiar words.

The more traditional skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic are not ignored but are incorporated into play activities. By the time children reach the age of 4, these skills are emergent and ready to be consolidated and extended in the Reception class. Phonics instruction becomes more structured, with an emphasis on letter-sound correspondence and basic blending and segmenting skills.

Apart from a child’s first day at school, Reception marks the first big transition that children make at school. In the Reception class, children gradually move away from learning through play into a more traditional classroom setting and more structured teaching methods.

By ‘traditional’, we do not mean worksheets and textbooks, but rather a more structured approach to classroom learning that ensures children develop self-discipline as well as the skills required to flourish in Key Stage 1. During this phase, phonics instruction becomes more focused, with systematic teaching of letter sounds, blending sounds into words, and decoding simple texts. Children will start reading simple words and phrases, building their early reading skills through hands-on, play-based activities and guided reading sessions.

Playing with small children all morning might seem like the easiest of teaching jobs. Actually, when done properly, it is probably one of the hardest. Young children are inquisitive, energetic, and enthusiastic. The role of our teachers is to encourage, support, and channel those attributes into constructive play and effective learning. They facilitate a child’s learning by maintaining a careful balance between freedom and guidance; between prescription and exploration. So, our teachers need to be alert, observant, engaging, creative, and at least as energetic as their young students.

In the BOS, our EYFS classes benefit from excellent adult:children ratios. On average, one can expect at least three adults in the classroom at any time. This exceeds the UK and international norm, where two, or even one, adult works with a class of 25 children. This ensures first-class attention for our children, allowing our teachers to focus on each child’s individual learning needs, particularly in areas like phonics and early literacy. Teachers work effectively as a team, not only during the class but also afterwards as they share the experiences of the day and record the progress that each child has made as part of their Learning Journey.

In line with our philosophy of ‘Playing to Learn’, phonics and early reading schemes are embedded within the fabric of our EYFS curriculum. In addition to letter-sound recognition, children are encouraged to express themselves through drawing, writing, and storytelling, fostering creativity while building literacy skills. As they move through the Reception class, the emphasis shifts towards consolidating these emergent skills, preparing children for the challenges of Key Stage 1.

By creating a stimulating environment with rich, hands-on experiences, children at BOS develop the foundational skills for reading and writing, laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of learning.