Curriculum
The importance of play
Your child will begin to learn by doing things for themselves, by exploring and investigating, watching and listening, talking and discussing, creating and communicating. Play can be very messy as your child will be learning both inside with sand, water and paint, and also in the outdoors with mud, leaves and so on, so you can expect some mucky clothes at the end of the day!
The Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a curriculum for children aged three to five years old. This is broken down into three prime aspects and four specific areas of learning.
The three prime aspects of learning are:
Personal, social and emotional development
One of the main aspects of your child’s time at preschool will be a focus on their personal, social and emotional development. They will be encouraged to develop positive relationships, to play with a variety of friends and to understand the feelings of others. There will be opportunities to build confidence and self-awareness, and also to manage their feelings and behaviour
Communication
Communication is a key area of your child’s learning in preschool. They will spend lots of time sharing rhymes, songs, stories and playing games to develop their speaking and listening skills. They will be encouraged to learn to listen carefully, to develop concentration, to respond to questions and instructions, to share ideas and experiences and to take part in conversations.
Physical development
Your child will be given lots of opportunities to move in different ways, for example, running, jumping, balancing and playing with balls. Another important aspect of physical development at this stage is learning to hold and use tools, such as scissors, and also to use pencils and pens to draw lines and shapes. Your child will also begin to understand how to look after themselves and be healthy.
In addition to these three prime aspects of learning, there are four specific areas:
Literacy
In preschool we share lots of stories and rhymes to learn new vocabulary. Your child will be encouraged to handle and look at books independently and to begin to learn about how stories are structured. There will be opportunities for your child to recognise their own name. Your child will be encouraged to draw, paint and make marks to develop control and hand-eye co-ordination. They may begin to learn to copy the letters in their name.
Mathematics
At preschool, your child will be given many opportunities to explore numbers and shapes in their play. For example, they may be encouraged to count objects they are playing with and to compare two groups of objects. They will probably begin to represent numbers using their fingers, marks on paper or pictures.
Understanding the world
Your child will learn about the world around them and they will be encouraged to use simple technology and equipment.
Please use the supporting links for more guidance:
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Development Matters - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Birth To 5 Matters – Guidance by the sector, for the sector
Curriculum Design
We are thoughtful and flexible over our curriculum design to ensure it is engaging, exciting and meets the needs and interests of our young learners.
Our broad curriculum offer values all areas of learning. It is planned to build secure learning over time, providing children with the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to be successful and confident for their next stage.
We ensure children engage in active and memorable experiences. Children go on weekly walks to the local post office, shop and further afield visiting town and the library on the bus. These experiences allow children to develop a sense of place and understanding of their local area. Learning is further enriched within the setting through role-play to allow children to deepen their own understanding through exploration.
Children’ knowledge of the natural world is developed through close observation and use of technology. These personal experiences support children’s understanding of the world, enriching and widening vocabulary.
Celebrating cultural capital
We are a diverse and culturally rich setting, with many languages spoken amongst our families. We acknowledge, and build on children's uniqueness, experiences, and interests. And, at the same time, we provide new opportunities and experiences, to challenge, expand, and increase children's knowledge, understanding and cultural awareness about the world.
Our curriculum design aligns with the statutory framework and prioritises language and literacy through the sharing of quality texts, poems, rhymes and songs.
