We support children to develop confidence, self-respect and independence. They are encouraged to both work alone and to develop relationships with others by taking part in group activities and taking turns. Using appropriate activities and conversations they are taught acceptable ways to express their own feelings and to respect and understand the feelings of others.

Our educators encourage the children to extend their vocabulary by listening and joining in at story time and with singing at group time. During adult led activities we talk about what they are doing and work more closely with individual children to extend their learning. We give them the opportunity to listen to others and respond appropriately. We give them time to talk about events that have happened or about activities happening in the future.

We have a wide range of equipment allowing children to develop their gross motor skills. Our educators supervise the children and help them have the confidence to develop their climbing, moving and balancing skills. Fine motor skills are supported with the development of manipulating small objects and strengthening little fingers to support future writing skills. Children are taught the importance of good health & keeping safe and are encouraged to manage their own personal needs and independence with dressing.

The children are encouraged to experiment with a different range of sensory materials. They are educated to understand and talk about their local environment, their families and the wider community. We celebrate different cultures and beliefs through our play, stories and visits. We regularly have visits from people in the community which have recently included the Police and Fire service.

Our children become familiar with matching, ordering and sequencing objects, which forms the basis of early mathematics. They are supported by our educators to learn mathematical language such as shape names, size and volume. Stories and rhymes are used to develop counting skills, whilst water, sand and role play activities are used regularly to develop practical experience.

We teach the children to understand that written symbols have meaning and when they are ready they are encouraged to write and draw symbols for themselves. We help the children to have a love of stories and books, helping them to understand the narratives and encourage them to extend a storyline. We encourage and develop their imagination using a combination of rhymes, stories, songs and poetry.

The children use a wide range of resources to express their own ideas and construct their own creations, enabling them to explore different colour, shapes and textures. They develop their imagination skills with role play resources and use musical instruments to explore sound, rhythm and dance.

Our educators track a child’s learning as required by the EYFS. We use the secure online platform  ‘Tapestry’ which enables us to share observations and photographs of a child in play. This interactive platform also enables us to share important information and guidance directly with parents. Parents are involved in every aspect of a child’s learning and development, working with us to set goals, share observations and progress. Parents are also encouraged to share a child’s interests and achievements at home with our educators so that we can extend and celebrate them within the setting.