An exploration of curriculum continuity from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1

Transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to Key Stage 1 often marks a shift from a play-oriented curriculum to a goal-focused one. This usually results in changing environments, pedagogy and expectations, despite the fact that, at the start of Year 1, children are only six weeks older than when they finished Reception. As a Key Stage 1 and Reception teacher in a federation of schools, I have experienced this challenge first-hand. Moving to Reception from Key Stage 1, I was struck by how much children achieve in Reception and how much of this seems to be lost in transition. Evidence suggests that, in order for transition from Reception to Year 1 to be effective, curriculum continuity that builds on play-based learning is vital (Mayfield, 2003; Fisher, 2011; Early Excellence, 2017). This led me to ask, ‘How can the transition process from the EYFS to Key Stage 1 have curriculum continuity and build on play-based learning?’ (Taylor Jones, 2018). To address this qu