Curriculum

Curriculum

We follow the Early Years Foundation which is the Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) that sets standards for an integrated approach to the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old.
There are seven areas of learning and development, three prime areas and four specific areas:

 

Three Prime Areas:

  • Communication and Language Development
  • Physical Development
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
 

Four Specific Areas:

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding of the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design

In each area, there are Early Learning Goals (ELGs) which state what it is expected that children will know and be able to do by the end of the Reception/Kindergarten of their education.

 

Prime Areas of Learning & Their Associated ELGs

 

COMMUNICATION & LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Circle time provides the children with the opportunity to interact with each other as a group which will develop social-emotional skills and build friendships. By sharing emotions and responses during circle time, we can develop sensitivity towards others and begin to learn about the value of and need for trust, honesty, support and reliability.
This also involves giving children opportunities to speak and listen in a range of situations and to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves. During this time, children will also learn about the calendar, weather and sing songs, play games, read stories and learn about each other.

  • ELG 01 Listening, Attention and Understanding
    • Children listen attentively to stories and respond with relevant comments, questions or actions
    • They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity
    • They follow instructions and answer questions about their experiences
  • ELG 02 Speaking
    • Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs
    • They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future
    • They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or event
 

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

We plan varied activities both indoors and outdoors which help children to develop their co-ordination, physical control, movement, awareness of space and manipulative skills. This involves providing opportunities for children to be active and interactive, to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

  • ELG 03 Gross Motor Skills
    • Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements
    • They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space
    • They move energetically to stay active
  • ELG 04 Fine Motor Skills
    • Children hold a pencil effectively for fluent writing
    • They use small tools such as scissors, paint brushes, and cutlery
    • They begin to show accuracy and care when drawing
 

PERSONAL, SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The goal for children of all ages is to promote positive self-esteem and competence. All children are encouraged to be independent according to their individual development and teachers encourage them to problem solve, accept and appreciate diversity and negotiate when in conflict with others. Teachers will assist children in areas of practical life, self-help and personal development through activities that encourage new skills.

  • ELG 05 Self-Regulation
    • Children are confident about trying new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others
    • They are confident speaking in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities
    • They say when they do or do not need help
  • ELG 06 Managing Self
    • Children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others’ behaviour and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable
    • They work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules
    • They adjust their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine in their stride
  • ELG 07 Building Relationships
    • Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others
    • They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity
    • They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children
 

Specific Areas of Learning and Their Associated ELGs

 

LITERACY

Nursery children take part in daily ‘Letters and Sounds’ high-quality phonics sessions.

In Nursery, Phase 1 phonics is introduced through small focused groups and activities. Here they will become tuned into sounds around them and learn to use them. Children carry out rhyming activities using objects and songs. When children enter Reception/Kindergarten class, they will be taught Phase 2 and Phase 3 in Principle and Practices of High-Quality Phonics every day. These are fun sessions which involve lots of speaking, listening and games, where the emphasis is on children’s active participation.

As children progress, they learn to use their phonic knowledge for reading and writing activities in guided sessions and in their independent play and work.

  • ELG 08 Comprehension
    • Children use their own words to express their understanding of stories
    • They anticipate, where appropriate, key events in stories
    • They use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and during role-play
  • ELG 09 Word Reading
    • Children read and understand simple sentences, and they use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately
    • They also read some common irregular words
    • They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read
  • ELG 10 Writing
    • Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds
    • They also write some irregular common words
    • They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible
 

MATHEMATICS

Mathematics skills focus on number recognition, sorting, counting, sequencing, shapes, patterns, measurement, charts and addition by providing a broad range of contexts in which they can explore, enjoy, learn, practise and talk about them.

  • ELG 11 Numbers
    • Children count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20, place them in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number
    • Using quantities and objects, they add and subtract 2 single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer
    • They solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing
  • ELG 12 Numerical Patterns

    • Children verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system
    • They recognise, create and describe patterns
    • They explore the characteristics of everyday objects and shapes and use mathematical language to describe patterns and grouping
 

UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD

Our Thematic-Based Approach Learning Programme has general monthly themes that are designed to promote developmental skills and to enrich all children’s understanding of their world.  The themes have educational, social, cultural, and emotional values. Children will have opportunities to solve problems, make decisions, experiment, predict, plan and question in a variety of contexts usually focused on the theme and also explore and find out about their environment, technology, people and places that have significance in their lives.

  • ELG 13 People, Culture and Communities

    • Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members
    • They know that other children do not always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this
    • They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions
  • ELG 14 The Natural World

    • Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things
    • They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another
    • They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes
  • ELG 15 Past and Present

    • Children discuss the lives of those around them as well as their own roles in society
    • They understand some similarities and differences between the past and the present based on their own experiences and what they have read in class
    • They learn about the past by encountering settings, characters, and events in books read in class and through storytelling
 

EXPRESSIVE ARTS AND DESIGN

The majority of our projects are focused on the holidays and theme units.  This involves supporting children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials.  Children will have opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of art, design and technology, music, movement, dance and imaginative and role play activities.

  • ELG 16 Creating with Materials

    • Children experiment with colour, design, texture, form, and function while using and exploring a variety of materials, tools, and techniques in a safe manner
    • They share their creations and explain their process
    • They use props and materials to create characters for narratives and stories
  • ELG 17 Being Imaginative and Expressive

    • Children create, adapt, and recount stories with peers and teachers
    • They sing songs, rhymes, poems, and stories that are performed and moved in time with music.