The Foundation Stage is described as a 'distinct stage with an identity of its own' in the Department for Education and Skills video 'Effective Reception Class Practice'. It begins when a child reaches the age of three and ends when they start Year One of primary school, usually in the September after their fifth birthday. Yet this apparently seamless phase in a child's life will, in reality, be marked by transition, usually from home to an early years setting, and later from that setting to a reception class. In an attempt to limit such disruptions and improve the quality of provision throughout the Foundation Stage, some schools and local authorities are integrating nursery and reception classes.
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