Young children learn best ‘in the moment’ when they are truly excited and engaged so we are child led in almost everything that we do, bringing the ‘teaching’ to the children. This way we ensure that each child’s learning is specified to their individual needs and abilities.
We record the children’s new learning and ‘wow moments’ through observations, noting the teaching that has taken place to move the children onto their individual next steps. We invite parents to share children’s learning that has taken place at home so that we can celebrate all of the children’s achievements. We are all in this together!
A child is a member of a family and a community. We foster building upon community relationships and involvement creating a sense of belonging in the world and an awareness of the children’s place in the community. .The EYFS classrooms are organised to allow children to explore and learn securely, safely and independently. There are spaces where the children can be active and areas where they can be quiet. The classrooms are set up to enable children to independently find and locate equipment and resources to aid their learning in whichever way possible.
We have each of the three classrooms set up as a specialist area which include:
The Studio – The children can access lots of different media and materials in our Studio, such as clay, pastels, charcoal and model making materials. We teach them how to mix their own colours and shades, and they can even alter the consistency of their paint depending on what techniques they are using!
The Imaginary Room – The children can role play in our large role play house, using a mixture of ‘real objects’ that they would find at home and dressing up items to enhance their play. There are also lots of different size blocks and loose parts in this room to support construction and small world play.
The Explorers Room – This space allows the children to explore storytelling through the use of books and puppets, find out about different cultures and traditions from real photographs and objects sent in from others, and learn to sew using our selection of fabric and felt!
Open ended Maths and Literacy resources are spread throughout the provision which enable children to use skills learnt during group times in real, purposeful contexts.
Outside learning is as important as the learning that takes place indoors. Being outdoors offers opportunities for doing things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors, and we are lucky to have a large garden featuring both open space and a wooded area. Our garden offers the children opportunity to explore, use their senses and be physically active and exuberant in our natural surroundings. We provide resources and opportunities for the children to access outdoors that help the children to develop in all seven areas of learning.
EYFS
Our highly skilled team in EYFS carefully support and extend our children through a range of exciting and awe inspiring learning opportunities. Our learning environments are rich and stimulating, offering an open ended child-led approach that encompasses both the Prime and Specific Areas. In our setting, children free flow between our three rooms; The Art Studio, The Explorers Den and The Imagination Room. All the rooms are set up with specific resources that enhance all 7 areas of learning in the EYFS curriculum. Our team add daily enhancements that follow the children’s interests and challenge their thinking as they understand how children learn best (Characteristics of Effective Learning). Our EYFS team embrace and bring alive our school’s ethos by investing in the development of the ‘whole child’ through physical, social and holistic development with awe and wonder at the heart.
