Curriculum
Our curriculum is based firmly upon the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
This is a statutory framework, introduced by the government in September 2008, which sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five years of age. It is mandatory for all schools and Early Years providers in OfSTED-registered settings to provide assurance to parents and carers that their choice of setting will keep their children safe and help them to thrive.
The EYFS curriculum consists of six areas of learning:
- Personal, Social & Emotional Development
- Communication, Language and Literacy
- Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
- Knowledge and Understanding of the World
- Physical Development
- Creative Development
Within each area of learning, children progress through a series of developmental stages which lead to the attainment of the Early Learning Goals (ELGs).
It is acknowledged that children are individuals and will, of course, progress at their own pace. However, in general, it is expected that most children will have attained the ELGs by the end of their reception year at primary school.
At St. Anne’s, we run small group programmes throughout the year to support/extend children in their individual progress and attainment.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
One of our main aims at St. Anne’s is to inspire the children in our care with a love of learning. We want them to be interested, excited and motivated to learn. Participating in a wide range of activities and experiences, exploring and investigating, trying things out and asking questions fosters a healthy curiosity in the world in which they live.
Our children are encouraged to concentrate and persevere at a task, with opportunities to work both independently and as part of a group. We encourage the children’s personal independence (for example, managing their own personal hygiene) and support them in their growing ability to do things for themselves.
We promote children’s positive self-image, support their developing confidence and help them to establish effective relationships with both other children and adults.
We help children to become aware of, and develop control over, their own feelings and emotions and to be sensitive to those of their friends. Children are taught to consider the consequences of their words and actions for themselves and others.
St. Anne’s is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual school and we consider this a real strength. We plan a range of learning experiences which enable children to develop an understanding that people have different views, cultures and beliefs that need to be treated with respect and that, similarly, they can expect their views, cultures and beliefs to be treated respectfully.
Communication, Language and Literacy
In this area of learning, we plan provision which will promote children’s skills in relation to speaking and listening, early reading and writing. There are many opportunities for our children to share important experiences in their lives, to talk about how they feel and to offer their views and opinions. Equally importantly, the children are encouraged to be aware of their friends’ contributions and to listen to what they want to say. Children are provided with specific vocabulary to enable them to express themselves accurately.
Each class has a well-resourced role-play area which provides children with good opportunities to use language creatively – for example, to make up and act out a range of roles and experiences.
For some of the children who attend the nursery, the main form of communication is non-verbal – for example, children who have just started and are not yet confident in practising their spoken language, children who are learning English as an additional language and children who have special educational needs. In these cases, the use of expression and gesture is encouraged. Staff are also trained in the use of the Makaton signing system and this is used where appropriate.
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
Our children have access to many practical activities to promote their early mathematical awareness and develop their thinking. Children are encouraged to explore shape, size and weight in practical situations and to use mathematical language accurately to accompany their work. Comparative and positional language (for example, bigger/smaller than, in front of/behind) is introduced in the context of structured play activities.
Our children learn to recognise mathematical patterns, to recreate them and, where appropriate, to make up their own. They are encouraged to develop an awareness of mathematical problems and to think about and offer solutions.
Children regularly take part in number rhymes, songs and games which encourage counting and introduce them to early addition and subtraction in an enjoyable, purposeful way. They learn to recognise and use numbers up to 10 (and, in many cases, way beyond!) and have opportunities to record their findings in a variety of ways.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Our children are encouraged to talk about their families and important events in their lives and to share this information with their friends.
Planned visits to the local shops, library and park enable children to explore their environment safely and talk about their observations.
Cooking activities, planting and growing seeds and bulbs and close observations of mini-beasts and other pets provide them with opportunities to look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change and to ask questions about why things happen and how things work.
Children’s design and making skills are promoted through activities such as model-making, collage and workshop sessions. These provide good opportunities for them to explore and experiment with a wide range of materials and to develop and refine skills of cutting, joining and building.
Technology is used to support children’s learning. There is a computer in each class and additional technology, for example the Roamer robot, is used on a regular basis. We also have a library area which contains an interactive whiteboard.
The celebration of cultural and religious festivals which are important to our children and their families (for example, Easter, Diwali and Eid) enable children to develop an awareness of their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people.
Physical Development
Children have regular opportunities throughout the day to use a range of small and large equipment both indoors and in our outdoor play area.
They participate with enthusiasm in regular movement-to-music sessions. These are enjoyable and fun but they also enable the children to develop increasing control and co-ordination over their body and to develop an awareness of space, of themselves and of others.
Our outdoor area is well equipped, providing good opportunities for children to develop their skills of climbing and balancing and enabling them to find exciting and interesting ways of travelling around, under, over and through a range of equipment.
Children are helped to develop an awareness of the importance of keeping healthy and to recognise the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active.
The staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their hand-eye co-ordination and fine physical skills – for example, sewing and building with small construction bricks. Children are taught to use tools, such as scissors and hole-punchers, safely and with increasing control and accuracy.
Creative Development
In this area of learning, our main aim is to foster and develop children’s individuality and creativity and to encourage the use of their imagination.
Activities such as painting, model-making and collage work enable children to explore and experiment with colour, shape, space and form in both two and three dimensions.
Children regularly take part in singing, dancing and music-making sessions and have opportunities to listen to a range of music including classical, modern and cultural music. They use percussion instruments, including those they have made themselves, to explore sound.
We encourage children to appreciate their senses and to respond to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel in a variety of ways.
The role-play areas are changed on a regular basis to enable children to make up and act out their own stories in a wide range of contexts – for example, a hospital, a hairdressing salon etc.
Children have access to a wide variety of materials, tools, instruments and other resources (for example, puppets) to express their ideas and to communicate their thoughts and feelings.
At St. Anne’s, our curriculum is provided within an environment that promotes individual learning, equality of opportunity and offers a genuine partnership with parents and carers.
