At Duchess Nursery Wallingford we adhere to the standards set in the EYFS framework to ensure that children
- learn and develop well
- are kept healthy and safe
- have the knowledge and skills they need to start school
We draw from the EYFS and plan educational experiences that are centred around the seven areas of learning and development. This process shapes the learning opportunities at Duchess Nursery Wallingford and ensures that our children are getting full, enjoyable and educationally rich experiences from the activities on offer
The areas of learning are broken into two categories;
Prime areas: particulary important for laying the foundations for early learning;
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Specific Areas : supporting learning of the prime areas and enabling children to apply and develop skills
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Four guiding principles shape practice in our early years settings. 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 with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
- importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Children at our nursery are guided through their educational journey with these principles at the core, they are underpinned by the characteristics of effective learning, which are the ways in which you child engages with other children and adults and their environment, supporting your child to become an effective and motivated learner.
- playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’ •
- active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
- creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things