Our Approach To Learning
Our overall approach to children's learning and development is 'child centred learning through play'. Early Years Foundation Stage Principles underpin our practice. We promote British Values throughout our practice. We aim to promote a positive atmosphere through positive interactions with all the children. Fostering a sense of belonging by providing continuous free- flow provision inside and out allowing children the freedom to play, explore and choose their own activities promoting active and creative learning, independence and initiative. The adults spend their time sensitively with the children. Practitioners use their knowledge of child development and children’s characteristics of learning to inform how they teach the children.
Assessments
Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs, and to plan activities and support. Ongoing observation and assessment is an integral part of your child’s learning and development process. It involves practitioners observing children to understand their level of achievement, interests and learning styles, and to then shape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations. We collate our observations and assessments in a special file that we call your child’s ‘Learning Journey’ this we will share with you throughout your child’s time with us and is for you to keep when your child moves up to school. Along with the Learning Journey, we will complete a transition report of how well your child is developing towards the Early Learning Goals.
Progress check at age two
When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners must review their progress, and provide parents and/or carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the prime areas. This progress check must identify the child’s strengths, and any areas where the child’s progress is less than expected. If there are significant emerging concerns, or an identified special educational need or disability, practitioners should develop a targeted plan to support the child’s future learning and development involving other professionals (for example, the provider’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator) as appropriate. (If you wish to view the full EYFS 2017 document, please click on this link).
Early Years Foundation Stage
What is the EYFS?
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.
At Heyhouses Nursery we plan for and assess all our children following the guides and Principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage. During our initial home visit, we will provide you with a parental EYFS tool called 'What to expect and when?’ This will help you to understand how your child is developing and making progress. This guide also suggests ideas and activities to support your child’s learning and development at home.
• Quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind;
• A secure foundation through learning and development opportunities which are planned around the needs and interests of each individual child and are assessed and reviewed regularly;
• Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers;
• Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported.
• The EYFS specifies requirements for learning and development and for safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.
• The learning and development requirements cover:
• The Seven Areas Of Learning And Development which must shape activities and experiences (educational programmes) for children in all early years settings which are described below;
• The Early Learning Goals that providers must help children work towards. The goals summarise the knowledge, skills and understanding that all young children should have gained by the end of the Reception year, i.e. the year that they turn five years old; Learning Goals.
• Assessment arrangements for measuring progress when and how practitioners must assess children’s achievements, and when and how they should discuss children’s progress with parents and/or carers.
• The Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements cover the steps that providers must take to keep children safe and promote their welfare.
Principles of the EYFS
There are four guiding principles of the EYFS, which shape our practice.
These are:
• 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.
The framework covers the education and care of all children in early year’s provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The Seven Areas of Learning and Development:
There are seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programmes in early year’s settings. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.
Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.
The Prime Areas of Learning are:
involves giving 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.
involves providing 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.
involves helping 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.
Providers must also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied.
The specific areas are:
involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials including books, poems, and other written materials to ignite their interest.
involves providing 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.
involves guiding 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.
involves enabling 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.