Letters

EYFS AND PLAYWORK

I read with interest the article 'Playworkers struggle to implement the EYFS' (Analysis, 11 June). I am a playworker who has recently achieved EYPS. I own three out-of-school clubs and a nursery setting in Redditch. I have extremely mixed feelings about the implementation of the EYFS in that it has a positive effect on my nursery setting, but a negative effect on my out-of-school settings.

At the nursery we have become much more child-initiated because of the EYFS. We have stopped using limiting 'themes' for our activities and plan totally around our children's interests. Our practices for observing children have become much simpler, and our observations are used to drive our future planning. We have the most wonderful days where a child can comment on the blossom on the trees, which leads on to a snow 'fight' using the blossom, and then discussion about different types of weather. We can easily fill a whole day with child-initiated play. Through thorough evaluations we check that we are meeting all areas of the EYFS and we are aware of how our children are working towards the Early Learning Goals.