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“Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.” (EYFS p.5)

 

Our curriculum is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a universal curriculum for children from birth to 5 years which must be delivered by all Ofsted registered early years settings. We use the EYFS as a framework for enriching and broadening children’s experiences through a balance of exciting play opportunities and adult-guided activities that are planned in response to the needs of our children, families and community.

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Our practice is shaped by four guiding principles: 

  • every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured

  • children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships 

  • children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers

  • children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. (EYFS, p.6)

Through this curriculum our children develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that equip them well for the next stage of their learning in school.

Your children’s learning will link to the areas of learning set out in the Early Years Foundation stage, which are summarised here, and all activities will be appropriately planned to the relevant stage of development and understanding of the children:

 

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

  • Self-confidence and self-awareness

  • Managing feelings and behaviour

  • Making relationships

We help children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

Communication and Language

  • Listening, attention and understanding

  • Speaking

We provide children with opportunities to experience a rich language environment, including hearing stories and joining in with songs and rhymes every day; they develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

Physical Development

  • Gross Motor Skills

  • Fine Motor Skills

We provide opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food

Literacy

  • Comprehension

  • Word Reading

  • Writing

We encourage children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children have access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.

Mathematics

  • Numbers

  • Numerical Patterns

We provide children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

Understanding the World

  • Past andPresent

  • People Culture and Communities

  • The natural world

We guide children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment

Expressive Arts and Design

  • Creating with materials

  • Being imaginative and expressive

We enable children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

All members of our staff are continually:

  • Actively encouraging children to learn through play and to follow their own interests:

  • Implementing the EYFS and making sure it is suitable for children from two to five years of age.

  • Planning for the needs and interests of individual children;

  • Catering for different learning styles;

  • Using children’s individual assessments and observations of children to inform planning to meet the needs of each individual child;

  • Providing a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities;

  • Providing a wide variety of practical activities and experiences on a daily basis, both inside and outside.

  • Using information from parents to help us to meet the needs of individual children;

  • Actively valuing diversity within our setting and using resources which promote positive images of all the different groups of adults and children living within our society. The curriculum offered at Bunyan Preschool encourages children to develop positive attitudes about themselves and about people who are different from themselves. It encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking.

  • Offering outings and bringing visitors to the setting to extend children’s learning.

  • Employing well qualified, enthusiastic staff who understand how children learn and know how to promote young children’s development across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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