Curriculum and Learning

Our children enjoy exploring a range of stimulating activities that motivate them to investigate, discover, learn, and acquire skills ready for reception.

There are always lots of personal and social opportunities to develop confidence, build positive relationships and make new friends along the way!

At the nursery, the children learn to share, take turns, care, ask and question. They have lots of imagination and like to learn together to experience all things creative. We like to celebrate the children’s successes and are always proud of their achievements.

Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

Children in the nursery follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, which is based around seven areas of learning and development. These are broken down into three prime areas and four specific areas, as outlined below.

Three Prime Areas

Personal Social and Emotional Development

This is where children learn about relationships, develop self-confidence and awareness of themselves. They learn how to manage their feelings and learn to adapt their behaviour to various situations.

Physical Development

In this area of learning, children learn about how to move their bodies in various ways. They also develop how to use their fine motor skills, which will in time enable them to hold writing tools. Self-care is also another strand where children learn how to look after their bodies and how to self manage their hygiene and toileting needs.

Communication and Language

Here children develop the skills they need to listen to each other, to maintain and develop their attention skills. In addition, children develop the skills to speak and communicate and use this in their everyday life. Understanding language, sentences and instructions are also a part of this area of learning.

Four Specific Areas

Literacy

The skills required for reading and writing are included here. This consists of developing rhyme and a love of the written word. Children share stories, rhymes and poems. They re-tell and perform these to others. Writing skills are developed through giving meaning to marks as they draw, write and paint. Additionally, they are introduced to phonics using the Read Write Inc phonics programme.

Mathematics

In this area, children look at numbers and gain an understanding and awareness of number and what that looks like in the real world. They begin the foundations of mathematical application, such as addition and subtraction. Children also investigate shape, space and measure in a variety of ways.

Understanding the World

Here children are encouraged to look at the world around them. This begins with close family members, their friends, their community and the bigger world. Next, we look at different peoples lives which include religion, customs and job roles. In technology, children learn the skills they need to be able to interact with age-appropriate software.

Expressive Arts and Design

In this area of learning, children explore sounds and build repertoires of songs. Children can manipulate materials and explore what happens when they mix various types of media. Roleplay is also developed here by bringing storylines and narratives into their play.

Observation and assessment

The children build up a ‘Learning Journey’ showing some examples of their work and photographs of some of their other activities, which contribute to the teachers’ assessments of each child. At all times throughout the year parents are invited to contribute to, share and ask about their child’s Learning Journey.