Curriculum Intent
Our vision is to promote positive experiences for our children to enable them to grow and progress in preparation for starting school. We adopt a holistic approach to develop children’s social, physical, intellectual, and emotional abilities, each child is unique, and we celebrate our differences and diversity.
Our setting promotes and maintains a safe environment, which creates learning rich opportunities for children to develop and grow.
We are a happy, secure, child focused learning environment, with highly qualified staff, in a well-structured, appropriately resourced setting. There are many opportunities both outside and inside for children to engage in, which enable them to develop curiosity and initiate their own ideas. Resources are easily accessible to encourage children to be independent in a safe and nurturing environment. Children develop their self-esteem, confidence, perseverance, and resilience knowing they express and challenge themselves freely secure in the knowledge that staff will care and support them.
High Level Curriculum Goals
Our curriculum is broad and balanced, is centred around the child, based on our observations of the children. The ‘What to expect, When?’ guide can be useful for parents and carers to read through to find out more about how your child is learning and developing in relation to the Early Years Foundation Stage.
https://foundationyears.org.uk/what-to-expect-when/
The overarching principles which guide our work under the Early Years Foundation Framework are:
A unique child
Positive Relationships
Enabling Environments
Learning and development
There are seven areas of learning and development which form the early years curriculum:
Prime Areas
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)
Communication and Language (CAL)
Physical Development (PD)
Specific Areas
Literacy
Maths
Understanding the World (UAW)
Expressive Art and Design (EAD)
A copy of the Early Years Framework can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
Our high level curriculum goals are broken down into small steps as evidenced in our medium-term planning, using Development Matters (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/development-matters--2) to plan the curriculum and breaking this down further into our weekly planning using the seven areas of learning from the EYFS.
Our planning is bespoke to each cohort of children, we watch the children, we observe their play and talk to them to discover their interests this enables us to weave this into our planning. We have high expectations and pride ourselves on our high-quality interactions with the children to achieve our high-level curriculum goals in preparation for starting school.
The layout of our room and resources is designed to encourage independent, free play. We are a free-flowing setting and children have access to both inside and outside for the duration of all sessions. Our learning is play based, whether that is independent free choice play or a more adult lead, focused activity. Each child is allocated a keyworker and staff members are responsible for identifying needs within their cohorts and creating a focused activity which is adult led to support with gaps in children’s learning. Gaps are identified by keyworkers getting to know their children when we are assessing their knowledge and skills and through children’s independent learning journeys.
Part of our weekly planning incorporates the focused activities which cover the seven areas of learning and are designed to capture gaps in children’s learning.
We begin gathering information and knowledge on our key children right from the beginning which can be during the setting tours before they start, finding out what they like to play with, observing where they are attracted to first, which areas, the home visit is such an important tool in getting to know our families and children. We gather so much information from parents/carers, playing with the children in their own environment, parents complete ‘All about me’s’ which give us an indication as to where a child may be in their development, likes/dislikes, interests etc. All this information gathering is occurring and forming the outline of our base line assessments. Once the child has started with us, we take a very holistic approach, getting to know the child, staff build relationships with them, so the child feels happy and settled; a happy and settled child is much more open to learning and exploring.
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
We are an inclusive setting, please talk to our SENDCo, Holly Gabbitas if you have any concerns or questions regarding your child’s development.
We can ensure your child receives the best support we can offer. We work closely with Central Bedfordshire’s Early Years SEN Advisory team and can work with them and you to support your child whilst they are in setting.
