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The Curriculum

Windmills Nursery School offers a curriculum which enables children to progress towards the early years goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage (E.Y.F.S). We aim to prepare the children for the National Curriculum, which begins in Year 1 at school.

 

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five years. These areas of development are set out in The Early Years Foundation Stage Principles
 
The Early Years Foundation Stage Principles
 
A Unique Child
Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
 
Child Development
  • Child development
  • A skilful communicator
  • A competent learner
 
Inclusive Practice
  • Equality and diversity
  • Children’s entitlements
  • Early support
 
Keeping Safe
  • Being safe and protected
  • Discovering boundaries
  • Making choices
 
Health and Well-being
  • Growing and developing
  • Physical well-being
  • Emotional well-being
 
Positive Relationships

Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and or a key person.
 
Respecting each other
  • Understanding feelings
  • Friendships
  • Professional relationships
 
Parents as Partners
  • Respecting diversity
  • Communication
  • Learning together
 
Supporting Learning
  • Positive interactions
  • Listening to children
  • Effective teaching
 
Key Person
  • Secure attachments
  • Shared care
  • Independence
 

Enabling Environments

The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.
 
Observation, Assessment and Planning.
  • Starting with the child.
  • Planning
  • Assessment
 
Supporting Every Child.
  • Children’s need’s
  • The learning journey
  • Working together
 
The Learning Environment
  • The emotional environment
  • The outdoor environment
  • The indoor environment
 
The Wider Context
  • Transitions and continuity
  • Multi-agency working
  • The community
 
Learning and Development
Children develop and develop in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected.
 
Play and Exploration
  • Learning through experience
  • Adult involvement
  • Contexts for learning
 
Active Learning
  • Mental and physical involvement
  • Decision making
  • Personalised learning
 
Creativity and Critical Thinking
  • Making connections
  • Transforming and understanding
  • Sustained shared thinking
 
Areas of Learning and Development
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Communication, Language and Literacy
  • Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
  • Knowledge and Understanding of the World
  • Physical Development
  • Creative Development
 

We recognise that all children develop at a different pace and support them in their individual learning. Our high level of child/staff ratio ensures this. Further, our ‘key-worker’ system enables us to give the children the reassurance to feel safe and cared for, building positive relationships. The key-worker helps your child to become familiar with the setting and to feel confident and safe within it. The key-worker keeps records of development and observations on their key children and ensures all needs are met.
 
Special Educational Needs
Some children may need extra help with their learning. We aim to keep you well informed about any special difficulty your child may experience and we would like you to inform us of any concerns you have. Mrs Varriale and Mrs Kennedy regularly update their training with regard to the Code Of Practice for the identification and assessment of Special Educational Needs.