Medium-Term Planning | EYFS

EYFS definition

Medium-term planning develops curriculum intentions over a period between the longer-term overview and everyday decisions. In EYFS settings, this might mean considering learning priorities across several weeks, a half term or an overlapping phase.

What does medium-term planning connect?

Adults consider which ideas, skills and experiences could develop together, what children already know, and what support or resources may be useful. This gives more detail than a broad curriculum overview without fixing every daily interaction in advance.

The period and format vary between settings. A theme, enquiry, sequence of teaching or curriculum phase may provide an organising focus.

What might it look like in practice?

  • A preschool revisits building, positional language and collaborative problem-solving over several weeks.
  • A Reception team connects teaching about quantities with repeated opportunities to use them in play.
  • A toddler team considers how familiar routines and resources can extend communication over time.

How flexible can it be?

Practitioners may keep the intended learning in view while changing the activity, pace, resources or support. Children may need more time, a different explanation or an unexpected opportunity worth following.

Medium-term planning describes a planning scale, not a single EYFS template or a requirement to organise learning through topics.

Further Guidance | Related Documents

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Useful routes into practice

  • Preschool planning

    Explore themes, provision and responsive planning for three- and four-year-olds.

  • Reception planning

    Find guidance on curriculum priorities, progression and teaching across Reception.

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