If you are looking for an EYFS preschool in Abu Dhabi, you are looking for a nursery that teaches through the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage: a play-based framework for children from birth to five years of age. This guide explains what the EYFS covers, what it looks like in a real classroom, and what to ask when you visit. We are Bright Beginnings, and we use the EYFS alongside Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework, so we say plainly how we do that.
What is the EYFS?
The Early Years Foundation Stage is the UK government’s framework for early years education, from birth to the end of the Reception year, around age five. It sets out how children learn, what they are working towards and how adults should support them.
In England it is a legal requirement. In Abu Dhabi, a nursery chooses to follow it. Nurseries here are licensed by ADEK, and a licence does not say which curriculum a nursery uses. So “EYFS” on a website tells you what a nursery says it does. The tour is where you check.
The seven areas of learning
The EYFS has three prime areas, which come first and matter most for babies and toddlers:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
From these grow four specific areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
A child who can listen, move with confidence and manage their feelings is ready to learn to read, count and explore. That is why a good early years setting spends so much time on the prime areas.
How children learn: play with a purpose
The EYFS describes three ways children learn: playing and exploring, active learning (staying with a challenge), and creating and thinking critically.
In practice, a tray of water and cups is language (pour, full, empty), mathematics (more, less, how many) and science (why does it overflow?) at once. Staff watch what a child is doing, note what they are ready for next and plan the next step. There are no tests. Progress is judged by observation.
What you should see in an EYFS classroom
- Children choosing from activities that are set out for them, not all doing one task together.
- Adults on the floor at child height, talking with children, not just supervising.
- A named key person for each child.
- Time outdoors every day, not only on special occasions.
- Open-ended materials such as blocks, sand, paint, loose parts and books.
- Children’s work and photographs on display at their eye level.
- Songs, stories and rhymes through the day.
How we use the EYFS at Bright Beginnings
Our curriculum is built on two frameworks: the UK EYFS and Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework, whose themes are Being, Belonging and Becoming. Both shape our planning. You can read more on our How We Learn page.
English is our main language. Arabic, French and Spanish are part of the week for every age group, and some classes run in two languages. We welcome children from 4 weeks to four years, across three nurseries in Mehairba, Mushrif and Saadiyat. Our staff are approved by ADEK for their roles and hold first aid or basic life support training.
Questions to ask on any nursery tour
- Can I see your ADEK licence?
- How does the EYFS shape your planning? Can I see an example of a child’s learning record?
- Who will be my child’s key person?
- What is the adult-to-child ratio in this room today?
- How will I hear about my child’s progress, and how often?
- How much time do the children spend outdoors each day?
- How do you support children who are learning in more than one language?
- How do you prepare children for moving on to school?
If you would like to see how we answer these, book a tour at the nursery nearest you.
EYFS, British nursery or something else?
The EYFS is the framework. “British nursery” is a label that nurseries apply in different ways. Our guide to British nurseries in Abu Dhabi explains how to check it. If you are still comparing options, start with how to choose a nursery in Abu Dhabi.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EYFS?
The Early Years Foundation Stage is the UK framework for children from birth to five years of age. It has seven areas of learning and is delivered mainly through play.
What age does the EYFS cover?
Birth to the end of the Reception year, around age five. In Abu Dhabi school terms that runs from nursery through FS2.
Does Bright Beginnings follow the EYFS?
Yes. Our curriculum is built on the UK EYFS and Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework, and we teach in English, Arabic, French and Spanish.
Is the EYFS the same as the British curriculum?
Not quite. The EYFS covers the early years only. The National Curriculum for England starts in Year 1, around age five to six.
Will my child be tested?
No. Early years assessment is based on observation. In England there is a progress check at age two and a profile at the end of Reception. In Abu Dhabi, ask each nursery how it records and reports progress.
