Childcare Provider Lee, Lewisham
Our Curriculum
EYFS-Statutory Guidance
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) establishes the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn, develop, and remain healthy and safe. This guidance serves as the statutory framework that allows us to create a high-quality, secure, and nurturing environment, ensuring that every child receives a solid foundation for their future education.
Development Matters-Curriculum Guidance
To implement the EYFS statutory principles in our daily practice, we refer to Development Matters as our curriculum guidance.
This framework encompasses seven key areas of learning:
Three Prime Areas:
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language
These prime areas provide the essential foundation for all future learning.
Four Specific Areas:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design
These specific areas enhance and expand the learning experience.
Individualised Curriculum
At our nursery, we believe that every child is unique, and this philosophy drives us to create tailored learning experiences that cater specifically to their individual needs and strengths. When your child joins our nursery, we engage in a comprehensive process designed to support their growth and development:
Assess & Observe:
Our first step involves careful assessment and observation of each child. We take the time to understand their interests, skills, and starting points, allowing us to gather valuable insights into their learning styles and preferences. This foundational step ensures that we can provide a rich and engaging environment that resonates with each child.
Identify Needs
Once we have a clear understanding of the child, we analyse their developmental stage in relation to their age. This helps us identify specific needs, including cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development. By pinpointing these areas, we can set appropriate goals that support their overall growth.
Target Setting:
Guided by the principles outlined in Development Matters, we establish personalised, achievable targets for each child. These targets are designed to challenge them while remaining attainable, fostering a sense of accomplishment and motivation. By collaborating with parents, we ensure that these targets align with each child’s unique circumstances and family values.
Next Steps:
Our approach is dynamic and responsive; we continually plan meaningful next steps that support your child in achieving their targets. These steps may include hands-on activities, collaborative play, and tailored learning experiences that encourage exploration and curiosity. We regularly monitor progress and adjust our plans as needed to ensure that every child can thrive and succeed as they grow.
By personalising the curriculum in this way, we aim to create a nurturing and stimulating environment where each child can reach their full potential.
Curriculum based on 3 I's
(Intent, Implementation and Impact)
To ensure our curriculum provides outstanding learning experiences, all our planning is structured around three core pillars:
Intent:
Establishing clear learning goals that are tailored to each child's individual next steps.
Implementation:
Delivering engaging, purposeful, and adaptable activities that bring these goals to life.
Impact:
Evaluating progress to ensure that children are making meaningful strides in their development.
Support Independence
We strongly believe in building confident, resilient learners right from the start. We understand that every child begins their journey from a different starting point, and we are committed to promoting age-appropriate independence in various developmental areas:
- Independent Feeding: Encouraging self-serving, table manners, and healthy choices.
- Personal Care: Supporting self-care routines, dressing, and hygiene.
- Independent Learning: Guiding children to think critically and solve problems on their own.
- Independent Play: Fostering exploration, curiosity, and decision-making.
Play-based Learning
At our nursery, we believe that play is an essential component of early childhood education – it’s not just an activity but the foundation of learning. Research shows that children learn best when they are actively engaged, happy, and immersed in playful experiences. Our curriculum is designed to incorporate a variety of rich, hands-on activities that not only cover early math concepts and foundational literacy skills but also promote essential social skills, emotional development, and creativity. Through play, children explore their interests, ask questions, and develop critical thinking skills, all of which ignite their curiosity and instil a lifelong love of learning.
Attachment-Key worker/buddy worker system
We understand the importance of secure attachments in a child’s early years. A strong emotional bond is crucial for children to feel safe, confident, and ready to engage with their learning environment.
Key Worker:
Every child is paired with a dedicated Key Worker who plays a pivotal role in their development. This adult is responsible for monitoring their progress, addressing individual needs, ensuring their safety, and supporting their overall well-being. The Key Worker works closely with families, providing updates and insights into their key child's growth and development, fostering a collaborative partnership.
Buddy Worker:
To maintain consistent, high-quality care, each child is also assigned a Buddy Worker. This professional steps in to support the child's needs whenever the Key Worker is unavailable. This system ensures that children receive uninterrupted care and attention, helping them to feel secure and cared for throughout their time at nursery.
Settling-in:
We recognise that transitioning to nursery can be a daunting experience for both children and parents. Therefore, we prioritise a thoughtful, gradual settling-in process that is customised to your child's emotional pace. Our approach ensures that each child receives the support they need during this important time, allowing for a smooth and happy transition into nursery life. We work closely with parents to create a nurturing environment where children can flourish and feel comfortable exploring their new surroundings.
Forest School
Outdoor exploration is a fundamental part of our daily routine, enriching our children’s learning experience. We are proud to have two certified Forest School Leaders on our team who guide regular sessions at our nearby Forest School site, where the beauty of nature serves as the ultimate classroom.
During these sessions, children engage in diverse activities, all of which encourage hands-on learning. This outdoor environment offers essential opportunities for children to develop risk awareness as they navigate various challenges, enhancing their physical confidence and resilience.
Moreover, problem-solving skills are fostered as children encounter real-life situations and learn to think critically and creatively in a natural setting. Through these rich outdoor experiences, our young learners also cultivate a deep appreciation for the environment, an understanding of its importance, and a sense of their role in its protection. Overall, our Forest School program not only promotes physical and cognitive development but also instils a lifelong love for nature.
Tooth Brushing Program
At our preschool, we are dedicated to promoting our children’s health and hygiene, recognising the importance of developing good habits from an early age. In partnership with Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, we have implemented a comprehensive Supervised Toothbrushing Programme.
Every day after lunch, our preschool children participate in this programme, where they are guided step by step in brushing their teeth effectively. With the support of trained staff, each child receives personalised attention to ensure they understand the proper techniques for maintaining oral hygiene. This daily routine not only helps establish essential lifelong dental care habits but also fosters a positive attitude towards self-care.
The program is conducted in a fun, friendly atmosphere where children feel comfortable and excited to participate. By making toothbrushing part of their daily routine, we are instilling a sense of responsibility for their health while reinforcing the importance of dental hygiene in a playful, engaging way.
Home Learning Corner
At our facility, we firmly believe that parents serve as a child’s first and most pivotal educators. Establishing strong partnerships between home and nursery is crucial for every child’s growth and success. To support this, our Home Learning Corner offers thoughtfully curated Home Learning Bags, each packed with high-quality resources, engaging activities, and comprehensive guides tailored for parents to use alongside their children.
Our Home Learning Corner is centred around three essential focus areas:
School Readiness:
We provide a variety of fun and interactive activities specifically designed to build foundational skills in literacy, mathematics, and self-help. These resources aim to empower your child with the confidence and competence needed to transition smoothly into primary school, ensuring they are well-prepared for the challenges ahead. Activities may include simple counting games, colourful storybooks, and self-care checklists that promote independence.
Healthy Eating & Well-being:
Our resources include a range of interactive games, tips, and educational materials that focus on fostering physical health, enhancing positive mental well-being, and encouraging balanced nutrition at home. Activities may involve cooking together using healthy recipes, exploring the importance of physical exercise through fun games, and learning about nutritious foods to make healthier choices as a family.
EAL (English as an Additional Language):
In recognition of the diverse linguistic backgrounds of our families, we offer customised language packs and home learning tools specifically designed to assist bilingual families. These resources aim to strengthen early language development not only in English but also in the child's home language. Tools may include bilingual storybooks, vocabulary flashcards, and activities that promote language practice in engaging and enjoyable ways.
Sustainable Climate Change Plan
At our nursery, we firmly believe that fostering a sense of environmental responsibility begins in early childhood. Our commitment to the planet is reflected in our comprehensive Sustainable Climate Change Plan, which guides our efforts to integrate sustainability into all facets of nursery life.
We strive to create an engaging and educational environment where children not only learn about eco-friendly practices but also actively participate in them. Through hands-on activities such as gardening, recycling projects, and nature walks, we instil a love for nature and an understanding of the importance of sustainability.
Our curriculum emphasises developing eco-conscious habits in everyday routines, such as conserving water, reducing waste, and using energy responsibly. We encourage children to explore their surroundings, ask questions about the environment, and understand their role in protecting it.
By nurturing their curiosity and empowering them with knowledge, we aim to raise a generation of environmentally aware young people who will cherish, respect, and protect our planet for years to come.
Everyday Sustainability in Action
At our nursery, we believe in making sustainable practices an integral part of our daily learning experiences. We empower children to take ownership of simple yet impactful habits that contribute to a healthier planet. Here are some of the ways we engage our young learners:
Energy Conservation:
We instil the importance of energy-saving habits by incorporating them into our daily routines. Children learn to switch off lights and air conditioning units when leaving a room, understanding how these small actions can collectively reduce our carbon footprint. We hold discussions about energy sources and the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy, helping them connect their actions to broader environmental concepts.
Rainwater Harvesting:
In our nursery garden, we actively collect rainwater, teaching children the significance of water conservation. They participate in setting up rain barrels and learn about the water cycle and how weather affects our environment. When it’s time to water our plants, children use the harvested rainwater, gaining hands-on experience in sustainable gardening while appreciating the natural resources around them.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle:
To introduce children to recycling, we implement a variety of engaging hands-on activities that make learning fun. Through sorting games, children learn to differentiate between recyclable and non-recyclable materials. We also read age-appropriate books that tell stories about sustainability, featuring themes of reducing waste and protecting our planet. These activities not only foster an understanding of recycling but also encourage creativity through projects where they reuse materials to create new items, such as art or crafts, reinforcing the message of sustainability in their everyday lives.
By integrating these practices into our nursery routines, we nurture environmentally-conscious habits that will stay with children throughout their lives.
Our Nursery Patch & Hands-On Nature Care
At our nursery, we believe that cultivating a love for the natural world starts with hands-on experiences. To achieve this, we provide children with daily opportunities to engage with nature in our nursery environment
Vegetable & Flower Patch:
Our nursery features a dedicated vegetable and flower garden where children take an active role in gardening. They participate in various activities such as planting seeds, watering the plants, and observing their growth. As they nurture the garden, they gain a sense of responsibility and pride as they watch both flowers bloom and vegetables flourish, learning about the cycles of nature firsthand
Plant Care:
Children explore the vital role that plants play in our ecosystem through interactive lessons and practical experience. They discover how plants contribute to clean air and support wildlife, and learn the importance of caring for them. Through activities like pruning, weeding, and composting, children develop a deeper understanding of plant life and the impact of their stewardship, fostering respect for the environment and encouraging sustainable habits that they can carry into the future.
Quality Childcare Lee in Lewisham
Interested in Finding Out More?
Contact us today to ensure you secure your child’s place in our beautiful setting. Alternatively, book a show around and our friendly team will be delighted to show you around the setting.
