Nursery Learning
Hannah has formed such strong relationships with all the nursery staff which I think is down to their loving and caring nature.
RPS parent, 2024
At RPS, we celebrate the uniqueness of every child. We see each child as a continuous learner who has the potential to be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured. Positive relationships are prioritised to foster strong, independent learners. Our EYFS staff and parents collaborate closely, creating a rich and supportive environment where each child can thrive. We offer experiences tailored to individual needs, building on what children already know and their interests, and ensuring appropriate differentiation. This personalised approach is facilitated through our keyworker system. We acknowledge that children develop and learn in diverse ways and at varying paces, which is reflected in our effective teaching and learning strategies. We utilise 'Development Matters' to enhance our teaching and learning in the early years, alongside a curriculum adapted for our children's needs.
Areas of Learning
The seven significant and interlinked areas of learning and development form the foundation of our approach. We consider the three core areas to be especially vital for sparking children's curiosity and eagerness to learn, as well as for enhancing their ability to learn, establish relationships, and thrive.
Communication and language development
We give children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations demonstrating a good understanding.
Physical development
We provide opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. We help children to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Personal, social and emotional development
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.
Our provision also supports children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied.
Literacy
We encourage children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children are given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, magazines and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
Mathematics
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 measure.
Understanding the 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
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, imagination, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, roleplay, and design and technology.
How we help your child to become incredible
We consider the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child and use this information to plan a challenging, highly motivating and child centred curriculum in all the areas of learning and development.
Each area of learning is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult guided and child-initiated activity. We regard play as essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. We strongly believe that children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.
Our stimulating environment offers high quality provision consisting of small world, role play, construction, outdoor, malleable materials – playdough, water, sand, model making, painting, mud kitchen, den building, bikes, outdoor resources. The environment is fluid.
The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning
Playing and exploring: Children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’. Our environment allows children to play freely. Opportunities for exploring are included in our provision. Resources that encourage creativity that are ambiguous are: planks, cable drums, wooden bricks, boxes, den building materials.
Active learning: Children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements. We encourage children to be active learners by creating an environment led by their interests. We believe high level attainment comes from high level engagement and that learning should be process (skill) driven rather than outcome driven. Engagement in the process ensures the knowledge is more likely to be retained.
Creating and thinking critically: Children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things. We give lots of opportunities to problem solve and work things out supported by an adult who scaffolds and models thinking. We also provide opportunities for children to investigate, and problem solve independently.
How do we put this into action?
We plan our continuous provision to continue the provision for learning ‘with an adult’ and ‘in the absence of an adult’. It is directly linked to children’s progress and attainment and focussed on skill development. We enhance the provision by selecting resources and activities to meet the children’s developmental needs; resources provided are differentiated. Adults observe children’s learning and also teach, support and scaffold children’s learning through their play.
We use ‘linked provision’ at the beginning of the day. This is provision linked to an interest and planned around a specific area of need or consolidation as identified through observations.
Formal, summative assessments are completed at least 3 times per year to understand a child’s understanding at the end of a period of teaching. This is followed by a gap and strength analysis based on age-related expectations which informs the change in the environment needed to address learning gaps and strengths.
A typical day in nursery
08:45 Linked provision – a time to say hello to friends and practice some skills such as completing a puzzle, tummy time drawing and enjoying stories.
09:00 Welcome - days of the week/weather and an exciting learning hook!
09:10 - 11:10 Children are given time to explore the learning environment both in and outdoors, developing skills where staff support and scaffold learning.
09:30 session begins
09:45-10:30 Free flow snack. Fruit and milk are provided.
11:10 Song/rhyme time - developing early phonics skills.
11:20 Getting ready for lunch – not forgetting to sing our washing hands song!
11:40-12:15 Lunch time in the hall.
12:30 Afternoon session begins. More time to explore the learning environment both in and outdoors, developing skills where staff support and scaffold learning.
13:45-14:30 Free flow snack. Fruit and milk are provided.
14:45 Tidy up time.
14:55 Story time linked to interests and learning.
15:15 Get ready to go home.
15:25 Going home song.
15:30 Home time.