Curriculum
At Lambsmead Nurseries our aim is to meet the diverse and complex needs of each child as an individual and to provide a happy, warm, stimulating and safe environment in which children can develop physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally.
We have a policy of learning through play and a great deal is learnt through theme or project work using art, science, stories, songs, games and hands on experiences such as outings. Activities are aimed at all levels, so themes can vary from basic things like ‘shapes and colours’ to ‘the five senses’ or ‘people who help us’.
Children are eager to discover and interact with the people who share their lives. At Lambsmead Nurseries we aim to support the children’s natural curiosity by providing a wide range of experiences, combined with plenty of positive interaction with well-trained adult carers. We aim to provide opportunities to inspire children and interest them in everything. Children’s interests and abilities dictate what we do and although the Early Year’s curriculum forms the basis of our planning the children provide the inspiration!
Our curriculum is based upon the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.
The areas of learning our children will have access to are:
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Children are given the
opportunities to develop personal and social skills in a variety of ways.
Mealtimes are a time when children sit with their key carer in groups. They
assist setting the table and we support independence by encouraging them to
serve themselves where possible. They are also encouraged to take the needs
of others into account by passing things to each other and helping others to
serve themselves.
Children are encouraged to
develop independence and learn personal hygiene in the bathroom and when
dressing and undressing either to go into the garden, to prepare for a
physical activity, or when playing with the dressing up clothes. At key
times during the day we hold discussion periods when staff and children
share experiences. This promotes the child's confidence in developing
talking and listening skills and the staff encourage children to put forward
their own views and to respect those of others.
Drama, role-play and ‘small
world’ activities are provided on a daily basis in order to promote
imaginative skills and to help children recognise and deal with emotions
such as love, excitement, frustration, fear and anger. Board games etc. are
provided throughout the week in order to encourage turn taking and a respect
for the needs of others. Books that explore emotions are used to help
children understand & express their own feelings and those of others.
LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND COMMUNICATION
As well as discussion times
throughout the day, children are encouraged to talk about their experiences
within the nursery. When
appropriate, the staff sit
with the children at certain activities, asking open questions and
introducing language related to the activity.
The constant use of songs
stories and rhymes within our daily curriculum promotes confidence and
fluency in language. The children's work is labelled with their names and
relevant language and children are encouraged to use equipment that involves
letters and words to extend their experience in this area. We find the free
expression area, phonics work and children's writing patterns a successful
way of encouraging children's early literacy skills.
Story times are well planned
and sometimes linked to theme work or to an individual child's experiences.
Children are encouraged to discuss the words, pictures and events that they
observed during the story and join in with familiar lines to favourite
stories. In order to support children with delayed language we provide
regular language groups and activities
MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
Our nurseries are well
equipped with a variety of mathematical equipment and staff arrange
activities that extend the children's mathematical language, problem-solving
skills and help them to experience and gradually understand mathematical
concepts.
The staff also use messy play
to extend children's mathematical experiences e.g. sand and water with
volume/weighing equipment or dough to discuss size, colour, weight, texture
and shape.
The staff are also very aware
of the mathematical opportunities available with many other activities
offered throughout the nursery day e.g. spatial awareness during music and
movement activities. Also, everyday discussion e.g. comparing numbers of
children attending to number of drinks or looking at different heights of
children, support the children's knowledge and understanding of maths in
everyday life.
Counting and number
recognition are encouraged through number songs, counting rhymes, books and
puzzles.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
The staff use a variety of
resources to extend the children's knowledge and understanding of the world
e.g. outings to local places of interest (parks and libraries) or outings
linked to theme work e.g. supermarkets or farms.
Books and activities that
extend the children's knowledge of other countries and cultures are used as
part of the nursery’s regular programme of activities. The children are
encouraged to discuss their own experiences and themes such as ‘Home’ help
children gain an awareness of the area in which they live. Projects such as
‘Growing’ are used to encourage the children to explore and recognise
features of living things and help them to learn to observe, compare and
exchange ideas about why things happen and how things work.
Construction toys, cause and
effect equipment and junk modelling are offered regularly to give the
children experience and confidence in design and technology. Children will
be encouraged to operate ICT (computers, tape recorders, etc.) with
independence and confidence.
Themes such as ‘All about me’
encourage the children to make observations about physical and human
features. Our daily exchange of ‘News’ helps the children to recount events
that are happening within their own lives and those of others around them.
Many of our themes allow the
opportunity to explore aspects of the past, present and future.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Our plans allow daily
opportunities for the children to use resources that encourage them to learn
to move confidently and imaginatively.
Dance sessions help children
to gain increasing control and co-ordination. Music and movement promotes
and awareness of space and others. Whilst small and large equipment is
offered throughout the week to encourage the children to gain increasing
skill in the use of balancing and climbing apparatus.
Fine motor equipment such as
puzzles, construction toys, threading etc. and malleable equipment such as
dough, clay, pasta etc. used in conjunction with various tools and equipment
is provided daily to encourage hand-eye co-ordination and the ability to
handle tools (e.g. scissors) with safety and increasing skill.
Carefully planned garden
activities support and encourage children's physical, social and emotional
development.
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
The staff are skilled at
providing a variety of resources to promote the exploration of colour, shape
and space. As well as our free expression area, children are offered a
variety of activities to extend their creative skills including various
types of painting, collage work and model making opportunities. These give
them the experience and opportunity to explore space in two and three
dimensions.
Messy and creative activities
are used to create an awareness of the sense of touch, smell and sight.
Cooking and taste experiments are used to encourage discussion and sensory
experiences. Musical tapes, singing, dance and musical instruments are used
to extend children's creativity with sound and movement.
