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Our curriculum is delivered and assessed through the seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving. These are the prime areas:
- communication and language
- physical development
- personal, social and emotional development
We also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:
- literacy
- mathematics
- understanding the world
- expressive arts and design
Our curriculum is delivered through play-based experiences because we understand that “process is more important than the end product or the goal…children often smile, laugh and will remain engaged in it for long periods of time”
Fisher (2020).
Designing our curriculum through play-based experiences enables us to meet all children’s needs and starting points.
These play-based experiences include:
- exploring new activities and areas of provision both indoors and out
- investigating and ‘having a go’
- keeping on trying if difficulties are encountered
- enjoy new achievements
- having and developing new ideas
- making links between things what is known and something new
- engaging in playful experiences which are new
- trying out new vocabulary when talking
- being introduced to new learning through a topic or theme which is threaded through the areas of classroom provision and/or adult led activities.
It is through these experiences that adults carefully introduce, model and explain new vocabulary and language. What adults will do includes…
- singing songs, nursery rhymes, read aloud and tell stories
- thinking out loud and modelling new language The reading framework (2022)
- rephrasing and extending what the children say
- explaining new words
- helping children articulate their own ideas.
We understand the importance of learning outdoors, so our classroom provision includes constant access to the outside area and beyond through our welly walks and visits to the church wild areas.
“An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity, but great fulfilment.”
David Attenborough
Our routine and timetabling of adult led times recognises that “children are most successful with tasks which need them to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks following active play outdoors.”
Rosiek, M & Etnier, J & Willoughby, M. (2022).