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Early Years curriculum

Learning through play, discovery and everyday moments.

We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) — but at Brambles you'll see it in bug-hunts, story corners, mud kitchens and conversations at lunch.

learning together

EYFS at Brambles

What EYFS actually means.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the statutory framework for learning, development and care from birth to age five. It sets the standards every nursery in England works to — and a small list of areas your child is supported to develop in. At Brambles, EYFS happens through play, real conversation, woodland time and the everyday moments where children try, fail, and try again.

The 3 prime areas

What gets built first.

The prime areas are the ones every child needs early on — they unlock everything else.

  • Prime area

    Communication & Language

    Rich vocabulary, stories told and re-told, conversation at lunch and in the woods. We build language children can use to think with.

    Looks like

    • Sitting in the story spot under the trees
    • Asking questions while watching a beetle on a log
    • Singing songs at snack time
  • Prime area

    Physical Development

    Climbing, balancing, pouring, threading, fine motor and big motor — every day, in and out.

    Looks like

    • Forest School climbing and balancing
    • Threading beads and pouring at the water table
    • Wellies on, coats zipped — independence built in
  • Prime area

    Personal, Social & Emotional

    Naming feelings, sharing, kindness, courage. A key person who knows your child, and grown-ups who hold space for big feelings.

    Looks like

    • Talking about how a friend feels in the story circle
    • Taking turns at the mud kitchen
    • Calming down with a key person when overwhelmed

The 4 specific areas

What builds on the foundations.

  • Specific area

    Literacy

    Stories, songs, mark-making, name-writing. Letters that come from real words children care about.

    Looks like

    • A favourite book read for the hundredth time
    • Writing in the sand and the mud
    • Recognising their own name on their peg
  • Specific area

    Mathematics

    Counting, comparing, sorting, shapes — using pebbles, logs, fingers and footprints. Maths that feels like the world.

    Looks like

    • Counting pebbles in the woodland
    • Comparing the length of two sticks
    • Sharing snacks fairly between friends
  • Specific area

    Understanding the World

    Bugs, fossils, seasons, weather, where food comes from. Curiosity treated as the starting point for learning.

    Looks like

    • A bug jar with woodlice and millipedes
    • Talking about the rain in the puddle
    • Following a recipe from the kitchen
  • Specific area

    Expressive Arts & Design

    Paint, mud, junk, music, role play. Real materials, real expression — and lots of mess.

    Looks like

    • Leaf prints with mud paint
    • Building a den in the woods
    • Role play in the home corner

How we observe progress

Quiet noticing, not constant testing.

Our team notices what each child is interested in, what they're trying, and what they're ready for next. We capture this in your child's online learning profile — short notes, photos and sometimes videos. Then we plan the next steps with you.

Your online learning profile

Read your child's day, from home.

Each child has an online learning profile that you can access with a password. You'll see observations, photos and progress notes — and you can add your own from home. The profile is private to your child and the people you choose to share it with.

Forest School & EYFS

The woodland is part of the curriculum.

Forest School isn't separate from learning — it's where a lot of it happens. Number pebbles, story spot, mud kitchen, bug-hunting: each maps to one (often several) areas of the EYFS.

See Forest School

Ask about your child's learning

Bring your questions — about your child, or about EYFS.

On your visit you'll meet the key person who'll know your child best. Bring your questions — about your child, or about EYFS.

Contact us