Overview of the Early Years curriculum

Curriculum areas

The Cambridge Early Years curriculum contains a comprehensive set of learning statements that provide a structure for teaching and learning in three stages: EY1 (for ages 3-4), EY2 (for ages 4-5) and EY3 (for ages 5-6). The learning statements are based on internationally established high-level developmental milestones for children aged 3 to 6.

The learning statements reflect well-established developmental milestones for children’s learning and development from ages 3 to 6. Milestones can never be an accurate indicator of what every child can do. Each child has their own developmental pathway which is shaped by many factors, including their home background and experiences. You should consider each child’s current level of learning and development when planning how they will reach the next stage. However, although children develop at different rates, some milestones are much harder to achieve later in their learning experience. Monitoring against the learning statements in the Cambridge Early Years Curriculum will help you to optimise each child’s progress and ensure that they have the best possible foundations for further learning.

The curriculum consists of six curriculum areas:

Between them, these curriculum areas comprehensively cover the four developmental contexts. Each curriculum area relates to all of the developmental contexts, for example, the ways in which the Communication, Language and Literacy curriculum area links to the developmental contexts include: 

• physical development – fine motor skill development supports pencil grip in literacy
• cognitive development – verbal communication of ideas helps children to develop their ideas further
• language and communication developmental context – a clear direct link
• social and emotional development – communication is crucial to children’s social interactions

All of the curriculum areas are equally important and interconnected, so you should avoid prioritising some curriculum areas, or parts of curriculum areas, over others. Although the curriculum areas are presented separately in the curriculum document, it is important your teaching and learning takes place in a holistic way, so children can apply and make connections between knowledge, understanding and skills in different curriculum areas. Using themes which span several weeks is one way of enabling a holistic approach (see Planning).