Curriculum
Most children come to the Nursery with a wealth of experience to draw upon. They have learnt about people and their environment and have begun to develop many of the skills they need to operate in their world, but it is the task of the Practitioners to build on this experience to extend their learning.
The 0-2 year olds receive love, comfort and security in a happy small unit, along with stimulation where learning through sensory and exploratory play using a wide range of toys and equipment is the key issue, preparing them for the activities to come when they reach 2 years.
For 2-5-year olds, learning through play forms the basis of daily activity. To provide this, we have a high standard of varied toys and aids to develop physical activities, manipulative skills, discrimination, role play and creativity. There are bricks, games, tricycles, cars, dolls, books, paints, glue, dressing up clothes, puzzles, a climbing frame etc.
There are open areas for physical play and cosy corners for quieter activities. Typically, stories are read in one of these areas or the library where soft chairs and carpeting give a relaxed atmosphere to snuggle down with a book.
Children attending who require a sleep after lunch can do so between 12.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. in a quiet room where beds are provided.
Nursery Education is provided for 3 & 4 year olds.
We are a Nursery School within a Day Nursery setting, which gives working parents, in particular, the advantage of knowing that their 3-5 year old child is receiving ‘Nursery Education' in addition to all ‘Day Care'. We are inspected by Ofsted, and have an excellent report. We can accept Nursery Education Funding as part payment of fees.
Nursery Schools are generally open in the mornings only, and during term times, but we are open all the year and children benefit from Nursery Education both in the morning and the afternoon. We promote learning through play and fun educational activities throughout each day. At Kinderworld Day Nursery there are breaks for milk, story, lunch and free-play during the day and the children are able to concentrate more easily than in some formalised Nursery School settings. In fact we believe that the continuity of learning is enhanced by the fact that we are open for 51 weeks of the year, and, apart from family holidays, children have a steady input of knowledge in a less formal atmosphere than an intense Nursery School environment, followed by long holiday breaks which can lead to the child forgetting what has been learned. Children at the Nursery benefit greatly from our approach to Early Years Learning.
At Kinderworld we follow the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 0-5 years. The EYFS brings together: Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (2000), the Birth to Three Matters (2002) framework and the National Standards for Under 8s Daycare and Childminding (2003), building a coherent and flexible approach to care and learning. This framework sends a clear unequivocal message underlining the importance of home and family working together with practitioners to lay the best possible foundations for life and learning. It is based on principles of inclusion which means that early years providers oppose discrimination and prejudice and welcome all families and children.
Kinderworld focuses on the principles from the EYFS, these are grouped into four themes;
- ‘A Unique Child',
- ‘Positive Relationships'
- ‘Enabling Environments' (indoors and outdoors), and
- ‘Learning and Development'.
Through effective practice; partnership working; good planning, resourcing and assessment the Nursery Staff (Practitioners) at Kinderworld plan play activities and experiences that help each child make progress in their development and learning and they meet the diverse needs of children. All children have a range of different experiences, skills and interests when they join us so our activities are informed by observations on the children, and are planned with each child's interests and abilities in mind. Nursery themes or topics also support development by introducing new concepts and knowledge to children.
We provide a well planned and resourced curriculum to take their learning forward and we provide opportunities for all children to succeed in an atmosphere of care and of feeling valued.
To support children's independence and individual learning we encourage children to choose which activities they would like to participate in throughout the day, this not only enables them to have more choice but also allows them to spend longer at activities if they so wish in order to complete something or feel satisfied.
Kinderworld Practitioners monitor each child's progress throughout their time at Nursery to ensure they are making progress and that particular difficulties in any of the areas of learning, whatever the cause, are identified and addressed. Prompt and appropriate action at this stage could help prevent children from developing learning difficulties later in their school career. There will be a small number of children who have special educational needs or disabilities that will require specific provision. At Kinderworld we acknowledge that it is essential that these children are identified as soon as possible and that appropriate support must be provided. Other children may be more able and need activities that offer an appropriate challenge. Monitoring of each child's progress throughout will also ensure that their achievements can be celebrated.
Throughout the EYFS, stress is placed upon understanding each child and their family as unique, with different needs and concerns. Children's development is presented under six overlapping phases. This overlap is intended to emphasise the fact that there can be big differences between the development of children of similar ages. At the same time age can be a cue, when taken with all other factors, to indicate that development may be atypical and that a child may need extra support.
These six areas of Learning and Development underpin all future learning by supporting, fostering, promoting and developing children.
These areas are:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED),
- Communication, Language and Literacy (CLL),
- Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy (PSRN),
- Knowledge and Understanding of the World (KUW),
- Physical Development (PD) and
- Creative Development (CD).
The development of knowledge includes looking at the environment, studying through themes and interest tables as well as exchanging news. We hope that children and parents will participate in bringing in articles for discussion as well as providing any topics of interest. This exchange of ideas develops active minds.
As stated in the EYFS: "Babies and young children are individuals first, each with a unique profile of abilities". At Kinderworld schedules and routines flow with the child's needs. All planning starts with observing children in order to understand and consider their current interests, development and learning and to support this children are encouraged to choose which activities they would like to participate in throughout the day, this also enable them to spend longer at activities if they so wish.
Each child's key person maintains the child's personal development profile by working with parents and through observing, assessing and planning for their individual needs, interests and further development.
Observations help tell a story about each individual child, and when placed together with other evidence in their personal development portfolio, it creates a picture of the child and the progress they are making, and we are grateful to parents who share any development records from previous childcare settings their child has attended as they are a useful start to their portfolio.
We also encourage parents to share on-going comments relating to their child's achievements, by writing down any special events their child has been involved in, any achievements that their child may have made or any positive comments regarding their child's development and progress (these may relate to home, holiday, or whilst out and about). These accounts are extremely helpful in aiding the child's key-person in highlighting interests and recording progress, and are added to the child's personal development profile.
Parents may access and add to their child's personal development profile folder at any time and ask that they please speak to their key-person to arrange this.
Upon completion of their time at Kinderworld the child is given their personal development profile folder so it can be shared with the next transition in their life (home, school or another setting).
For further information about the new EYFS visit: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/ or speak to Tina.