We arrange children’s activities and learning according to age around the EYFS curriculum issued by the government (documents available at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk) and the practices of a traditional nursery school. Examples of the kinds of activities arranged by the nursery nurses for younger children are messy play such as playing with playdough or cooked pasta, art and crafts, for example sticking feathers onto a picture or footprint painting, dressing up, playing with puzzles or using construction blocks. Older children’s activities might include learning colours and numbers or telling the group about their weekend. Daily routines include learning age appropriate tasks such as tooth brushing and always involve plenty of songs, nursery rhymes and stories.
All nurseries in the UK must follow the Early Years Foundations Stage curriculum issued by the
government. Early years are from when a child is born until they complete reception year at school.
You can see a copy of this at:
www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/earlyyears
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children are provided with experiences and support which help them develop a positive sense of
themselves and others. This is achieved by the staff forming a bond with each child and building positive relationships with their parents. Staff act as positive role models for the children and plan
opportunities for children to play and learn.
Communication, Language and Literacy
Children are provided with the opportunity and encouragement to use these skills in a range of situations and for a range of different purposes. They are supported in developing their confidence by staff. This is achieved by helping children to communicate their thoughts, ideas and feelings, using fictional and non-fictional stories, rhymes, music, songs and poems.
Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
Children are provided with opportunities and encouragement to practice and extend their skills. Whilst this includes number recognition and counting it also involves the use of puzzles and weights and measures. Children are coached with sufficient time and space in a positive manner to become aware of and familiar with new mathematical concepts and language. Activities can be child initiated and allow
children to explore real life problems.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Children’s learning is supported through offering opportunities for them to use a range of tools safely, encounter creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environment. This is achieved by giving the children the opportunity to explore their environment freely, learning about other life styles.
Physical Development
Children are encouraged to be active and interactive and to improve their skill of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. They are supported in developing an understanding of the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food.
Creative Development
Children’s creativity is extended through their own curiosity, exploration and play. They are provided with opportunities to explore and share their ideas and feelings using art and craft, music, movement, dance, imagination and role play.
Staff monitor children by conducting ‘observations’ in which they watch a child and record
how the child is interacting with their environment, other children or with the
activity. The Nursery Nurse completes an assessment of which the components of the
EYFS are being met.
Staff plan the activities for the start of the week and then plan the rest of the days
of the week as they see how the children react or are engaged during the day to the
chosen activities. In this way activities can be more closely tailored to how engaged
the children are and they become more child led. The Activity Plan is displayed on
the wall in each room and parents can look at it to see how the planning is developing
during the week. There is a change of theme each month in the nursery and activities
are often linked to the theme.
Staff also produce Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for each child. They consider
what has been achieved during the past month and use them to help plan for the upcoming
month. Each child has a Development File in which documentation is held. You can ask to
see this at any time. In addition, there are two parents’ days each year – usually in
March and September – at which you have the opportunity to sit down with your child’s
key worker and discuss their time at nursery and their development.
Whilst there is significant organisation of activities children are always encouraged to follow their
own choices and to explore and learn through their own discovery.
In addition to our indoor rooms, each of our nurseries has an outdoor play area, and we also take the children out for walks and to the park.
External activities run frequently in our nurseries including sport, music, dance and language (French and Spanish) lessons.
The theme changes in each room each month and so does the equipment and decorations to reflect this.
Our nurseries are approved by OFSTED