Our curriculum is designed to nurture confident, curious and capable learners through meaningful experiences, strong relationships and rich language opportunities. We follow the EYFS framework, placing communication, personal development and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
Building confidence, independence, emotional regulation, and forming positive relationships. This is 1 of the 2 most important areas of development for us & where we put a lot of our effort. The children learn to grow in confidence, have belief that what they say is valued & will be listened to & that they as an important part of our setting. Self-regulation sits in here & we allow the children time to regulate themselves both with & without support, depending on the situation. The team are skilled at being able to identify when to step in & when to remain close by & support when needed. We encourage the children to be vocal in their feelings & work a way through to a solution, being on hand when needed to soothe with positive language to narrate their emotions.
Communication & Language
Developing listening, speaking, and early language comprehension skills. Using the experience of our team, alongside a range of resources & materials, we place huge value on communication skills. The children are exposed to a vast range of language & we believe that a language rich environment is where children can thrive. Spoken language is supported by visuals & signing & this helps everyone to communicate. We deliver the Neli speech & language programme across the setting for all children over 3 years of age & this has seen steps forward in their ability to communicate both with the team & each other. We want all learners to be able to share their thoughts with us, to have conversations with their peers & to be able to effectively communicate.
Literacy
Mathematics
Developing an understanding of numbers (up to 10), shapes, spatial awareness, and problem-solving. We know that maths features across many areas of early years & we encourage our learners to use numeracy at every opportunity. Whether that is when filling buckets for water play to notice if their bucket is full or empty, transporting items from vessel to vessel they can talk about which vessel is heaviest, when weeding the vegetable garden there is opportunity for discussing the amount of force needed to pull a weed or when timing their friends as they complete a lap around the garden. Maths is such a huge area & we weave it into practical experiences so the children can learn in a hands-on approach. Our goal is for all children to have a deep understanding of maths & to be excited for new concepts when they are presented to them.
Understanding the World
Exploring technology, nature, diverse cultures, and the local community. We are based in such a wonderful spot & have access to both a village & the amazing countryside. We explore the environment by walking regularly in the local area, enjoying trips across the hill to explore the seasons in real life & when we venture into the village, we meet the local shop owners & use money to buy produce for our café, before returning to preschool to prepare & enjoy it with our friends. We would love to nurture a love of investigating & exploring where the children can both lead their own learning or be guided to a discovery.
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Physical Development
Enhancing fine motor skills (using tools, drawing) and gross motor skills (running, jumping, balance). We are most fortunate to be based in a setting with 2 outside spaces where the children can explore. This can be in a traditional manner where the children are able to run, ride bikes & bounce to their hearts content. We are also able to use our digging area to build the children’s core strengths & have both muddy spaces & a large sit in sand pit. The team are experts at spotting when a change might be necessary & helping the children to reregulate through a change in environment. Fine motor skills such as stirring, weaving, using scissors & pencil control are all accessible to the children & the team will help these skills develop through shared moments & allowing the children to learn though trial & error (except in the case of scissor skills!) Our stairs offer the children the opportunity to move throughout the setting & use their skills to ensure they are safe. Staff remain close to ensure safety remains paramount.
Expressive Arts & Design
Encouraging creativity through music, role-play, painting, and imaginative play. We are fortunate to be based in the most beautiful area & will often base our creativity on the seasons. The children are encouraged to explore this & the awareness comes from our morning registration times where we almost set the children up for their day. The children are encouraged to move to music they hear & to make natural patterns in nature. Story telling can be most expressive & we enjoy a helicopter story where the children act out a story written by their friends. We celebrate every child’s idea, no matter how small & offer them the resources & space to bring their visions to life & express their ideas. These can all help to build confidence & awareness in our children. Those who can express themselves freely though a variety of media & enjoy the process as well as the result.