The early years are critical in a child’s development and our ethic of care means that we emphasise the social and emotional wellbeing of a child as a starting point, and then build on that to stimulate children’s interest and curiosity. Every child’s development will be individual to them, and our key person approach ensures that each child’s interests and abilities are understood and used to plan appropriate experiences and activities. Children will be supported in different types of play and with a wide range of experiences and activities, indoor and outdoor, and as far as possible we will use real and natural resources.

 Personalised Care & Education

Children are social learners and we pay close attention to the relationships and interaction between children and between children and adults. We aim to provide continuity of care for each child, so each child’s key person will have a buddy, to ensure more than one person has a detailed understanding of a child’s needs and interests. We aim to personalise both care and education for each child, and will work closely with parents to ensure that experiences at nursery complement a child’s experiences and learning at home. We have a holistic approach to a child’s development – children can only engage in sustained learning activities when they are happy, confident and emotionally secure, so we pay a great deal of attention to a child’s wellbeing. Children are naturally curious and active, and we ensure that we give children choices whenever possible to encourage independence and autonomy.  

 Care, Development, and the Seven Areas of Learning

We follow the statutory framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and you may find it useful to look at the seven areas of learning, care and development included in this. It covers the whole age range from birth to five and is used by almost all UK early years settings, including schools. We use tablets and ‘Famly’ software, which includes an app, to record and share our observations with parents, and we encourage you to contribute your own observations and photos to your child’s learning journey. Termly parents’ evenings are also opportunities to discuss your child’s progress and development with his or her key person, and you are welcome at any time to spend time in the nursery to observe what goes on, although we do our best to share key experiences with you, and you will be given regular verbal feedback as well as the online updates.

 Children's Relationship with the Natural World

Our relational pedagogy also means that we place great importance on children’s relationship with the natural world, and we ensure that all children spend a significant amount of time outdoors, both in the nursery outdoor areas but also on outings and walks beyond the nursery. We encourage children to learn to recognise risk and to manage their own safety, which means paying close attention to safety, but allowing children to understand their own abilities and giving them the opportunity to be physically active and adventurous whenever possible. At all times we will work in partnership with you, and we will place your child’s best interests at the heart of everything we do.