Early childhood is a period of unparalleled cognitive, physical, and social growth.
It’s a time when a child’s brain is developing at its fastest – and where every moment is an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s no wonder, then, that the Early Years of a child’s education are proven to shape not only how they do in school, but also their long-term happiness and wellbeing.
At NAIS Hong Kong, we understand the importance of providing an outstanding, fully personalised early childhood education. This is why we teach the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a globally recognised British international curriculum renowned for giving children the best start in life.
In this blog, we explain how the EYFS curriculum works – and describe how our play-based approach nurtures our Nursery and Reception learners’ growth.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a British curriculum that guides the education and care of young children from birth all the way through to the age of five. It provides a strong framework and a clear set of guidelines that all childcare providers, preschools, nurseries, and schools must follow.
The EYFS is like a roadmap, which ensures every child receives high-quality care and education throughout their most formative years. The EYFS emphasises a play-based approach to learning, recognising that children learn best through exploration, interaction, and hands-on activities.
Developed and used in all schools in England, the EYFS is a highly respected programme that is also taught in British international curriculum schools – like NAIS Hong Kong – and nurseries around the world.
The Early Years Foundation Stage framework is underpinned by seven areas of learning and development. Our goal is to inspire our young students to flourish in each area.
So, how do we ensure that our Nursery and Reception children hit their key milestones in all seven EYFS areas? Well, it starts by celebrating the joy of early childhood education and embracing the power of play.
Our Early Years students learn through play, enjoying immersive, hands-on opportunities to explore, engage, and make new discoveries.
The beating heart of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, the power of play lies in its ability to nurture every aspect of our young learners’ development – the cognitive, the physical, the social, and the emotional.
Playful learning is dynamic and multi-faceted, unlocking all manner of developmental opportunities. From the everyday, like building a tower of blocks, to the more out-of-the-ordinary, like a day trip off-campus, every experience builds different skills.
Play is also the universal language of childhood, bringing smiles, laughter, and fun to our Sai Kung Early Years Campus.
Early childhood education at NAIS Hong Kong is built around the needs, interests, and learning goals of each child.
We know a happy and engaged child will blossom into a motivated and successful student. This is why we cater to individual learning styles and recognise unique interests and needs. We want our students to know they are valued and listened to, from a young age.
Our teachers are committed to helping every child develop their personality and character, too. They instil a strong sense of self and empower students to become increasingly independent. This helps our children to form good relationships and become confident in their communication.
Learning happens everywhere on our Sai Kung Campus, led by our brilliant, UK-trained teachers. With its light-filled classrooms, interactive learning stations, and exciting indoor and outside spaces, Sai Kung is a place that encourages discovery and sparks wonder.
We carefully integrate technology into all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage, too. Our students use age-appropriate tech to explore, to play, and to try new things. The use of technology increases engagement, improves concentration, and enables plenty of collaboration. It also prepares our children for tech-enriched opportunities in Primary School.
Above everything, we strive to instil a love of learning in our Nursery and Reception children.
Through mapped-out, meaningful play-based learning – designed around the Early Years Foundation Stage framework – our young learners develop their communication, pre-numeracy, early literacy, and fine and gross motor skills. They also explore, experiment, take calculated risks, and have lots of fun.
Through this approach, our young students gain the skills they need to make the most of the opportunities and challenges of life at Primary School and beyond.
To find out more about early childhood education at NAIS Hong Kong, please get in touch with our admissions team at admissions@nais.hk.
Join us for a campus tour or virtual meeting to take the first step in your child’s exciting academic journey. We look forward to meeting you to discuss what makes us stand out in Hong Kong.
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