The provision for children's development and learning is guided by The Early Years Foundation Stage.

Our setting reflects the four guiding themes and principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How we provide for development and learning

 

Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.

 

The Areas of Development and Learning comprise:

 

3 Prime Areas

• personal, social and emotional development;

• physical development;

• communication and language;

 

4 Specific Areas

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the world

• Expressive arts and design

 

For each area, the level of progress children should be expected to have attained by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage is defined by the Early Learning Goals.  These goals state what it is expected that children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.

 

The ‘Development Matters’ guidance sets out the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the early learning goals. Our setting has regard to these matters when we assess children and plan for their learning.

 

Our programme supports children to develop in the 7 areas of learning:

 

3 Prime Areas

 

Personal, social and emotional development

 

• making relationships

• self confidence and self awareness

• managing feelings and behaviour

 

Physical development

 

• moving and handling

• health and self-care

 

Communication and language

 

• listening and attention

• understanding

• speaking

 

4 Specific Areas

 

Literacy

 

• reading

• writing

 

Mathematics

 

• numbers

• shape space and measure

 

Understanding the world

 

• people and communities

• the world

• technology

 

Expressive arts and design

 

• exploring and using media and materials

• being imaginative  

 

Our approach to learning and development and assessment

 

Learning through Play

 

Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to think. Our setting uses the Early Years Foundation Stage ‘Development Matters’ guidance to plan and provide a range of play activities, which help children to make progress in each of the areas of learning and development. In some of these activities, children decide how they will use the activity and, in others, an adult takes the lead in helping the children to take part in the activity. In all activities, information from the Development Matters guidance to the Early Years Foundation Stage, has been used to decide what equipment to provide and how to provide it. Short-term plans (Topic Webs) are sent out to parents each half term but are flexible, and adaptable as necessary. Children always have input with their own ideas into these plans. Information is also provided in the regular newsletter, which is distributed at the start of each term and are available on our website.

 

Characteristics of effective learning

 

We understand that all children engage with other people and their environment through the characteristics of effective learning, that are described in the Development Matters guidance to the Early Years Foundation Stage, these are:

 

• playing and exploring – engagement

• active learning – motivation

• creating and thinking critically – thinking

 

We aim to provide for the characteristics of effective learning by observing how a child is learning and being clear about what we can do and provide in order to support each child to remain an effective and motivated learner.

 

You, Your Child and your Key Person

 

The Pre-School uses a key person approach. This means that some members of staff have a group of children for whom she/he is particularly responsible.  Your child’s key person will be the person who works with you to make sure that what the Pre-School provides is right for your child’s particular needs and interests.  When your child first starts Pre-School, she/he will help your child to settle and throughout your child’s time at the Pre-school, she/he will help your child to benefit from the Pre-School’s activities.  A Home School Diary booklet is issued to every child to aid a free flow communication system between parents and staff.

 

Assessments and the EYFS Profile

 

Observations taken throughout the pre-school sessions allows practitioners to assess the progress that your child is making, and be able to plan appropriate play and learning experiences based on individual children’s interests and needs. The EYFS profile is a record of each child’s development; this is where practitioners put in their observations of your child achieving and learning in each of the areas of learning and development. We use the information that we gain from these observations, as well as photographs or videos of the children, to document their progress and where this may be leading them in their individual profiles. Observing and reflecting on children’s spontaneous play, and building on this by planning and resourcing a challenging environment helps us to support and extend specific areas of children’s learning.

 

We make periodic summaries of children’s achievement based on our ongoing development records. These form part of the children’s Learning and Development Summary. We undertake these summaries at regular intervals as well as at times of transition, such as when a child moves onto a different setting or when they go on to school. We are required to complete an EYFS Summary for each child and this document will follow the child up to primary school providing a consistent record of development. All observations taken of children are kept confidential.

 

We have parent consultations, which take place during the winter and summer terms, giving parents and their child’s key person a chance to review their child’s individual learning experience and profiles.

 

My Learning Journal

 

Eylog is an online Learning Journal where we add photos for you to see at home. We encourage families to add their own photos that are shared with the pre-school.