Our Curriculum
- be resilient, tenacious and able to tolerate difficulties and set-backs
- be curious, life-long learners
- be independent
- be creative thinkers
- be imaginative
- understand that other people have feelings, and how to take other people’s feelings into account
- have a positive self image and high self-esteem
- be able to express themselves, their wishes and opinions, confidently
- be able to focus on a chosen task
- be interested in other people’s lives and understand that everyone is different
- be able to share and take turns
- love the feeling of achievement when they achieve what they have set out to do
How do we choose what experiences to offer our children?
Basic Continuous Provision
The resources that we put out every session. Indoors – water/sand, dough, sensory tables/stations, art, book corner, small world, home corner, construction
Outdoors – water/sand, construction, book corner, climbing frame, large loose parts, mud kitchen
Enhancements
What we add to our basic continuous provision after having observed our children’s interests and where they need extra challenge and stimulation (invitations to play)
Adult-Led Activities
Based on our knowledge of our cohort of children, their interests, and their developmental needs. These can include up to twice-daily group times for all children (songs, stories, dancing, etc) and activities the children can choose to participate in, for example baking, junk modelling etc
Interventions
These are more specialized activities for particular children who have been identified as having an additional need in a particular area, for example children with SEND or children who need encouragement around speaking
What is our Pedagogy?
- Every minute we are with the children is an opportunity for the children to learn, either from the environment we’ve created, or from the children’s interactions with the adults.
- Warm, kind, relaxed and respectful adults help children to settle quickly. Children feel secure and supported, and from this foundation, are able to access the curriculum to its full advantage.
- Children learn best through play.
- Free flow play allows children to become absorbed in their learning, which helps them to make mental connections upon which further learning is built. Free flow play helps children to be independent, curious and creative. It promotes a calm atmosphere within the setting.
- Access to the outdoors throughout the sessions means that children are able to indulge their need to move, to use gross motor movements, to build their muscles, and to experience all weathers. Some children learn best outdoors, and their need to be outdoors is respected at all times.
- In the Moment Planning means that we can move our children’s learning on
- in a natural, child-led way. It gives us an in-depth overview of where they are developmentally, and provides a strong line of communication between us and the children’s parents.
- Reflective practice means that teachers are constantly questioning their assumptions and thinking about what is best for the children.
What measures do we put in place to ensure that our pedagogy is embedded throughout Nursery?
- Open-ended resources and loose parts promote imagination and creative thinking
- Half-termly supervisions to “deep dive” into practice, knowledge of key children, and training needs
- Comprehensive induction process and mentoring system for new staff and staff returning to work after a break
- Regular staff meetings to discuss practice, provision and children’s development
- Morning briefings each session for staff to share information about their Key Children with the full staff team
- Whatsapp group to discuss the day-to-day running of the Nursery
- Monthly moderation meetings which ensure that all teachers understand child development and are assessing children in the same way
- Rota with staff allocated on duty in all areas/roles e.g. outside morning/afternoon session, snack each day
- Time set aside on rota to allow for teachable moment observations, preparing children’s learning journals, unhurried meetings with parents, and peer observations
- ‘Gap/strength analysis’ at the end of each term outlines three areas of
- learning to promote the following term, focusing on provision, enhancements, and adult-led activities