Our Offer
Our cultural capital starts with what our children know and experience they bring with them to our setting. According to Thomson (2002), each child possesses a “virtual schoolbag” made up of nonmaterial attributes like experiences, knowledge, understanding of the world, cultural background, community and opportunities. What a child carries in their virtual schoolbag effects how the students learn and engage in an education setting.
We aim to ‘plug the gap’ of everyday activities our children have not experienced before entering our setting as well as providing exciting and stimulating experiences around children’s interests that help them to progress and achieve success.
To increase cultural capital from the earliest stages,
we offer:
Forest School delivered by trained specialists, online pantomimes and storytelling sessions, sports days, World Book Day Celebrations, Nativity performances, World Nursery Rhyme week activities, a cosy christmas experience, visits from the local community such as police officers, firefighters, librarians, 'Brush Up' visit to promote oral hygiene, 'Hands On' experiences such as handling mini beasts and rock pool creatures / observing real-life cycles by watching eggs hatch into ducklings and caterpillars turn into butterflies, djembe drums and performance.
“Every child is unique, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.”
(EYFS Statutory Framework, 2024)
The Early Years Foundation Stage principles which guide the work of all practitioners are grouped into four distinct but complementary themes.
ROUTINE AND PRACTICE:
We pride ourselfing on providing a language rich and communication friendly environment. We use the ShREC model to track and support high quality interactions.
Celebrate languages and cultures if all children
Enhancements linked to key teaching objectives and Childrens interests.
Weekly library time for children to take high quality books home to share with their family.
Sharing links with other community support and activities.
Exploring new foods.
Sensory play
Talking through Stories to develop vocabulary
Scribble Club and Drawing Club to develop a love of writing
We use Zones of Regulation to support discussions around emotions
Provide texts supporting early introduction to the 9 protected characteristics
We explore a song a day including songs from different cultures and genres.
Activities
Some of our activities include: regular baking, access to outdoors to promote gross motor movement, visits to the local librarys, science experiments to support learning, creating role play areas that are based off new experiences. We celebrate festivals of children in our setting including remembrance day and raise awareness through charity work such as Children in Need and Comic Relief.
Parent Stay and Play Sessions
These have a focus on particular subject areas that need promoting as well as relaxed crafting sessions.
Outdoors
We take regular nature walks to the wildlife garden and plant seeds to grow our own flowers and vegetables, we also take part in circle time games indoors and outside such as Sandy girl and Duck, Duck Goose.
Taking part in Forest School builds confidence and good communication. The children love to build a fire and eat marshmallows together.
Accessing our large well-resourced outdoor areas and fixed play equipment.
Exploration
Exploring and describing materials in science experiments. Exploring musical instruments, music and songs from different cultures.
Digital learning and exploration are enhanced by access to IT - Interactive whiteboards, iPads, remote control cards, light boxes, EasiViews, talking magnifiers and lots more.
Communication
Daily book of the week literacy sessions.
We focus on communication and literacy, utilising our exceptional staff.
Throughout your child’s time in Nursery and Reception they will be following the curriculum for the Early Years Foundation Stage, working towards the Early Learning Goals by the end of Reception. It is based on the recognition that children learn best through play and active learning. This curriculum outlines standards for learning and development for all children aged 0-5 and is organised into seven areas of learning:
Communication and Language (Prime)
The development of listening skills, learning to enjoy stories and rhymes, developing their understanding of language and their speaking skills.
Physical Development (Prime)
Encouraging an enjoyment of active play and gaining confidence in movement, energetic activity indoors and outdoors, development of skills such as running, throwing, climbing, learning how to make delicate movements with fingers and hands and finding out about health and fitness.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Prime)
Developing independence, confidence, making friends and getting on with other children and telling others how you feel and what you like.
Literacy (Specific)
Developing skills in reading and writing.
Mathematics (Specific)
Using number names in play, playing counting games, and experimenting with shapes and measure.
Understanding the World (Specific)
Encouraging children to use their five senses to notice things in the world around them, finding out about people or places in the local community, designing and making things, learning about animals and plants and how to look after them.
Expressive Arts and Design (Specific)
Children are given the opportunity to learn to express ideas and feelings through painting, drawing and modelling, acting out different situations, singing and making music and movement and dance.
We teach the Early Years curriculum through a topic centred approach. Each term we have a focus topic that we plan to meet the needs of the children and stimulate their interest for learning. Each topic covers the seven areas of the curriculum and exploits opportunities for exciting learning opportunities both in school and on regular outings.