Curriculum

Within the the group all children are supported in developing their potential at their own pace. We have a key worker system which enables us to ensure a planned curriculum is tailored to the needs of each individual child.

The curriculum we offer leads to nationally approved learning goals and helps to prepare the children to progress with confidence to the Key Stage One of the National Curriculum at the age of five years.

Communication, Language and Literacy

Children are encouraged to extend their vocabulary and fluency by talking and listening, by hearing and responding to stories, songs and rhymes. Children are helped to understand that written symbols carry meaning, to be aware of the purpose of writing and, when they are ready, to use drawn and written symbols for themselves. Tuesday is Library Day at pre-school and the children can choose a book from our own lending library, which they may keep at home for one week to share and enjoy with the family.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Within the nurturing environment, children are individually supported in developing confidence, autonomy and self-respect. The children are encouraged to work and concentrate independently but to also to take part in the life of the group, sharing and co-operating with other children and adults.

Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy

By means of adult-supported practical experience, children become familiar with sorting, matching, ordering, sequencing and counting activities which form the basis for early mathematics. As the children develop their mathematical understanding to solve practical problems, children are assisted to learn and use the vocabulary by identifying objects by shape, position, size, volume and number.

Knowledge and Understanding the World

A safe and stimulating environment allows children to explore and experiment with a range of natural and manufactured materials. They learn to observe the features of objects and textures, recognising differences, patterns and similarities, and to share and record their findings.

Physical Development

A range of equipment and opportunities, both indoors and out of doors, allows children to develop confidence and enjoyment in the use and development of their own bodily skills. A very high level of adult supervision enables children safely to create and meet physical challenges, developing increasing skill and control in moving, climbing and balancing. At the same time children are encouraged to develop their fine motor skills that are required to use pens, pencils and to handle small objects with increasing control and precision.

Creative Development

Children are encouraged to use a wide range of resources in order to express their own ideas and feelings and to construct their individual response to experience in two and three dimensions. Art equipment, including paint, glue, crayons and pencils as well as natural and discarded resources, provides for open ended exploration of colour shape and texture and the development of skills in painting drawing and collage. There are many opportunities for imaginative role play both individually and as part of a group.

Laying a secure foundation for future learning

During this Foundation Stage of Education these areas of learning will be introduced through play. All children learn best by experience and through play your child will develop, for example the social skills needed for personal development. By building self confidence and self esteem. We will encourage your child towards greater independence and the ability to self select their own activities. We will ensure that the activities the children undertake are suitable to the stage of development they have reached.

We achieve this by using ongoing observational assessment to help plan the children’s continuing development and by maintaining a flexible approach that responds quickly to the children’s learning and developmental needs.