The First Week Guide For New EYFS Practitioners

Your first week in an early years setting introduces new faces, lively routines, curious questions, and plenty of little surprises. Each day offers chances to build trust and learn how a nursery operates. Joining an early years foundation stage nursery means supporting young children while getting familiar with its team, values, routines, and learning environment.

Get to know the children

Start by learning each child’s name, interests, personality, and preferred activities. Spend time at their level, listen to their words, and notice how they interact with classmates. Some children approach new adults with excitement, while others take time to settle. Warm greetings, gentle conversations, and shared play help build trust during those first few days.

Learn the daily nursery routines

Ask your room leader to explain arrival times, meal breaks, outdoor play, nap periods, and collection procedures. Clear knowledge of daily routines helps you support children confidently and keep the room organised. Pay attention to transitions between activities, since young learners benefit when adults give simple reminders and maintain familiar patterns throughout the day.

Understand safeguarding responsibilities

Child safety comes before every classroom activity. Learn the nursery’s safeguarding policy, reporting procedures, visitor rules, and emergency arrangements. Find out how staff record accidents, monitor attendance, and respond to concerns. Ask your supervisor whenever a procedure seems unclear. Good safeguarding practice relies on alertness, accurate records, professional boundaries, and prompt communication with the right staff members.

Explore the EYFS framework

Review the seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS framework. These include communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design. Observe how teachers connect daily activities with learning goals. Your room leader can explain assessment records and help you recognise progress during play.

Build positive relationships with colleagues

Introduce yourself to the nursery team and learn each person’s responsibilities. Ask colleagues about classroom expectations, resource storage, activity preparation, and communication procedures. Share observations during team discussions and listen to feedback with an open mind. Friendly professional relationships make teamwork smoother and help you gain confidence in your daily responsibilities.

Set aside a few minutes each day to review your experiences. Note activities that engage children, routines that require more practice, and questions you want to discuss with your supervisor. Reflection helps you recognise progress and identify useful learning goals. Give yourself time to settle into the role and celebrate small achievements along the way.