Curriculum
Our Curriculum
Our children at Little Beeches follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS).
We consider the needs, interests and development of each child to plan challenging, relevant and exciting experiences for each child in all areas of learning and development.
There are three prime areas and four specific areas of learning and development in the Foundation Stage Framework curriculum. These seven areas of Learning and Development together make up the skills, knowledge and experiences appropriate for all children within the 0-5 age range as they grow, learn and develop.
Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving.
These are called the Prime Areas of Learning.
Prime Areas:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
The Prime Areas are then strengthened and broadened within the specific areas.
Specific Areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Curricular Goals
At Little Beeches, we have established our curricular goals across all areas of learning. These targets are integrated into the children's educational journey, allowing them to work towards achieving them with appropriate support throughout their time at Little Beeches. Please find attached our curricular goals below:
Parents' Guide to EYFS
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
Development Matters is non-statutory guidance for the EYFS.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/development-matters--2
‘What to expect, when?’ is an easy to use guide for parents on their child’s learning and development in the EYFS.
Our Intent
At Little Beeches Nursery we believe that all children deserve an inclusive provision, rich in first-hand experiences which allow their natural creativity and curiosity to flourish alongside their own individual skills and knowledge. We provide a curriculum which is rich and relevant in content, engaging and inspiring and encourages a desire to learn new things and challenges them to reach their own potential.
Through our curriculum we enable our children...
- to become positive and motivated individuals who are physically and emotionally engaged in their learning
- to be confident communicators who are keen to explore, investigate, ask questions and make their own decisions and choices about where and how they learn, sharing their experiences with others
- to persevere and stay involved in their learning, to develop their independence and self-belief and to help them build positive, trusting relationships which are respectful and long lasting
- to take their learning beyond their immediate setting, to connect with nature and build a sense of excitement, adventure and wonder within their learning
- to build on and extend their prior experiences and challenge their learning in order to celebrate progress and success.
How We Implement Our Curriculum
Our skilled and committed team...
- Provide a rich, balanced and creative curriculum through which children can actively explore, investigate and shape their own experiences and learning.
- Know the children well, they understand how they learn best and promote a provision which builds on their existing knowledge, skills and understanding using their current interests and motivations.
- Develop every child`s communication and language skills through a language rich environment, where high quality interactions, conversations, core rhymes, songs, stories and texts become an embedded part of the day.
- Establish a safe, secure and supportive learning environment in which the contributions of children, staff and parents and listened to and valued. We build confidence in our actions, learn through our mistakes and use this knowledge to improve ourselves in the future.
- Promote an inclusive approach, where additional and timely support scaffolds and enhances the learning for children who have yet to reach their potential and challenges others to deepen it.
Impact
We recognise the importance of the curriculum meeting the needs of the children and enabling all children to become deeply engaged and enjoy learning. We have high expectations for all children to achieve a least a good level of progress, relative to their individual starting points.
We develop a flexible curriculum which enables everyone to succeed, where children are resilient, co-operate and work well with each other.
We use ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’, or the “Developmental Journal” to guide us in what to look for and when. These documents help us identify children’s developing knowledge; skills; understanding and attitudes as they make progress through the Foundation Stage.
Staff develop strong relationships with their children and families to identify children’s starting points. Assessments are made through talking and listening to the child; meetings and discussions with parents/ carers; and quality interactions with the child. Staff use this information to make judgements as to individuals’ strengths and gaps. These are used by practitioners to target provision according to interest and need, ensuring no child is left behind.