Welcome to The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) of St. Jude’s Private Schools, where every day we embark on a journey of learning, growth and discovery. We provide a fun, interactive and safe learning environment for your child to grow into a confident, independent life-long learner.

Our EYFS programme is an excellent foundation for learning. We follow the revised British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, providing a curriculum full of activities, themes and real-life experiences that motivate the children and provide a solid base for their future academic learning and development.

In line with the statutory framework for EYFS, we believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential and meet the specific needs of a child or class. It ensures children have some control of their own learning and access to materials and equipment that they may require.

We take the approach that each child is unique, with special talents and abilities and an individual learning style. We acknowledge that children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates, and believe that all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected.

Children learn in a variety of ways: watching others, talking, asking questions, listening, exploring and investigating. Toddlers are not designed to sit still for long periods – therefore we operate an active learning system. It is a plan, do and review framework achieved through play. It is an approach where children and teachers plan, work and review together enhancing the opportunities for developing many social and intellectual skills.

Our experienced and dedicated staff take great care to engage the children on a level that is age appropriate, ensuring at all times through meticulous planning of the children’s learning experiences and enabling environment that each child’s needs and interests are accounted for and integrated into their learning. We consider the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child in their care, and use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all of the areas of learning and development. We celebrate diversity and create a welcoming environment where every child feels valued and supported to reach their full potential.

We see our children as naturally competent learners from birth, resilient, capable, confident and self-assured, and have designed a programme to build on these qualities, developing positive supportive relationships to nurture an inquisitive approach to learning where making mistakes is viewed as an important part of the learning process. In educating our children to become strong, responsible, independent learners, our teachers recognise that the learning environment plays a key role in supporting and extending a child’s development.

Our Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten classes offer a safe, caring learning environment, which promotes physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being, with good communications skills, as part of the core curriculum. We have a strong focus on developing key literacy and numeracy skills, artistic abilities and interests and a general knowledge and understanding of the world. Our classrooms are stimulating, interactive, lively and fun and are laid out to support all types of learners. Our environment provides a place for your child to thrive as a learner and want to run into school with enthusiasm on a daily basis. We provide pupils with an enabling indoor and outdoor environment, that encourages children to investigate, solve problem and think creatively. Lessons are planned with the children’s interests and abilities in mind, to ensure that every child makes progress based on their individual learning needs.