Early Years Foundation Stage
The Foundation Stage incorporates six areas of learning:
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children are encouraged to develop respect towards others and develop social skills by sharing and turn taking. This achieved through group activities. The children are introduced into making choices for themselves as well as encouraging independence, e.g. personal hygiene, dressing, meal times, play activities.
Communication, Language and Literacy
Children are encouraged to develop their communication skills through listening skills, non-verbal communication including body language, facial expressions and eye contact. The skills are developed as children express their needs and feelings, interact with others and establish their own identities and personalities. The children have opportunities to access stories from the book area. Children will have an understanding that writing is used for different purposes such as lists, books, cards, labels and signs. Children will learn that reading in English is from left to right and from top to bottom. They will be introduced to stories and writing techniques from other cultures enabling them to expand their knowledge. They will begin to recognise their own name and begin early writing techniques to develop hand/pencil control.
Mathematics
Early maths skills are encouraged through numbers, patterns, measuring and shape. This will form a sound basis for later mathematics. Everyday activities in the nursery include mathematics and children are given the opportunities for water play, sand, dough, cooking as well as stories and rhymes with a mathematical theme.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
The children will acquire a range of new skills, knowledge and attitudes as they find out more and more about the world they live in. In real life situations they are given the opportunity to encounter creatures, people, plants and objects through daily activities or visits.
Physical Development
We encourage children to develop skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. When children gain confidence; it enables them to feel the positive benefits of being healthy and active. Children develop small muscular movements by cutting, writing, painting and sticking, using jigsaws, music and movement, parachute games and role-play. Children are also provided with the opportunity to use ride on toys developing large muscular movements, coordination and special awareness.
Creativity
Being creative allows a child to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extend their understanding. This includes art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play. It develops curiosity and involves exploration and experimentation. We have a room set aside to let children be as creative as they wish to.
These early learning goals set expectations that we aim to achieve for all children following the themed weekly activities.