Welcome to DBIS Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) consists of FS-1 and FS-2 and is the first part of the children’s learning journey in our Primary School. The EYFS campus is located close to Discovery Bay South Plaza and is purposefully designed to meet the needs of children between the ages of three and five years old. Our FS-1 and FS-2 children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum of England. Our curriculum/learning experience is adapted and personalised to suit our international context and is delivered through an inquiry-based pedagogy that is progressive in nature as children move through the Primary School. The nonstatutory ‘Birth to 5 Matters’ guidance is used to support the delivery of our curriculum in EYFS.

Our Primary School places the children at the centre of all that we do. In EYFS, our approach to teaching and learning is inspired by the principles of Reggio Emilia, where respect, responsibility and community lie at the heart of our practice. We view children as having extraordinary potential for learning and the ability to form their own understandings of the world around them. Our focus is upon nurturing creative, resilient and independent learners who are excited and confident to experiment and explore through active learning. The Characteristics of Effective Learning and the DBIS Learner Profile provide the foundations to support children in becoming lifelong learners and critical thinkers. Supporting the development of different learning dispositions, behaviours and habits is an important part of our approach to teaching and learning in EYFS as this builds strong foundations for future learning.

Our children are supported to take risks, think critically and develop understandings through exploration and inquiry. This experience is underpinned by our child-centred, personalised learning approach, which supports the development of the whole child and recognises the wonder of childhood.

Teachers and educational assistants are seen as partners and co-constructors in the children’s learning journeys, ensuring learning is continually placed in a meaningful context by engaging with the children’s interests and ideas. Our children experience authentic learning opportunities such as woodwork, Forest School and Beach School, and we pride ourselves on our child-led, Reggio Emilia-inspired learning environments, which support opportunities for open-ended inquiry.

We place great importance on positive relationships and interactions amongst all members of our school community as these support our holistic and inclusive approach. We derive much of our strength from the surrounding community; therefore, establishing and maintaining supportive relationships is key to the ethos of our Primary School. By working together, we can ensure that all children in EYFS value and enjoy their time here, that they are sufficiently challenged and supported in their learning and that they secure strong foundations for their entire learning journey in a happy, nurturing environment.

After reading this booklet, you will gain a sense of how our warm and caring environment, as well as the provision of opportunities for stimulating, inquiry-based learning, inspire our children to become curious, independent learners who are motivated to achieve their full potential.

Hannah Tait Head of EYFS & Primary