Curriculum
Our proven approach in Nursery is to deliver a careful balance of structured learning and child-initiated free play, where young ones can learn with enjoyment and challenge. We provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment for children to learn through an array of challenging opportunities and age-appropriate fun activities. This works exceptionally well and enables our children to make significantly better than average progress.
When your child first starts at Haslemere House Day Nursery, you are given information on the framework we use at Nursery to track your child’s development. This is called ‘The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework’
The 3 prime areas Examples of learning
Personal, social & Emotional Development
- Sharing
- Cooperating
- Considering others
- Choosing resources
Communication & Language
- Communicating needs and wants to staff and other children
- Solving disagreements
- Listening to and following instructions
Physical Development
- Independent dressing and undressing
- Spatial awareness
- Safety indoors and outdoors
- Development of fine motor skills for writing
The 4 specific areas of learning are:
Through these four topics we engage the children and start their love of learning. They are the precursors to the subjects studied in Key Stage 1 and beyond and cover subjects such as the use of technology in school and at home, the world around us and how we can affect it, animals and how to look after them, and personal history. We primarily teach these subjects through led sessions but always allow the children opportunities to focus where interests lie and share their experiences and enthusiasm with the class.
Haslemere House Day Nursery also uses four principles on which Early Years’ teaching and learning is based this is called ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’.
- A unique child
- Positive Relationships
- Enabling Environments
- Learning & Development
As well as tracking children under the EYFS, we also use a topic based approach which is changed every term. This provides a child-friendly theme for the term’s activities which cover the seven areas of Early Years learning.
We then plan activities around the topic, children’s individual interests and the next steps that they need to develop their learning.
All children will get involved in regular focused carpet times, targeted language groups, small focused group work to extend/support their learning.
Special Educational Needs
Our expertise and professionalism in Special Educational Needs at Haslemere House has helped support many children who have Special Educational needs over the years. Our SENCO/Manager has been at Haslemere House Day Nursery for 12 years and our Deputy recently completed a Level 3 course over 6 wks in SEN. All our other staff have regular SEN courses to make sure we have a greater understanding regarding the latest information and can support children fully. We also refer and work with many other professionals when needed.
Language & Literacy
‘The nursery has a wide selection of books, with a welcoming book corner where children are encouraged to look at and read books of their choice. Reading is a very important part of nursery life, story time occurring regularly in large or small groups, and even for the individual child.
We also encourage many ways for the children to use mark making(writing) . It maybe through encouraging children to recognize and write the letters of their name, or to incooperate writing in other activities throughout the day e.g. making a shopping list.
Targeted language and social interaction groups are completed daily which encourage a rich use
Of language and involvement that can focus on all children’s needs.
We also recognize that some children may need much more prompting/encouragement and support to be able to develop their language and independence. To help support all children we also use phonics recognition, visual signs in different languages, simple sign language and much more.’
Mathematics
There is a large range of math’s equipment in the nursery. Construction toys, which range from table sets to larger ones used on the floor. Shape sorting, counting, games, matching and sorting, pattern making and mosaic, weighing and measuring, number recognition and usage, Simple computer games, shop and till, inset and other puzzles.
Exploratory Activities
Learning to handle and explore materials like water, sand, clay, and dough. Outside activities exploring the environment, nature walks, town walks, visits to the farm. Gardening, growing and caring for plants. Such activities assist the children in their knowledge and understanding of the world.
Imaginative Activities
Role play area, home corner with kitchen style equipment, dressing up clothes, doll’s house, dolls of various sizes, cars and garage train set farm dinosaurs, etc.
All these activities will help the children with their personal and social development, also with sorting, sharing, language and other skills.
Physical Activities
The Nursery encourage lots of physical activities throughout the daily routine, such as yoga, dancing, running, jumping, climbing, walking etc. The children have daily use of our large garden with varied resources to encourage physical play and we regularly go out to local areas to promote more physical activity.
We also have a regular outside company called ‘Fit n Fun’ on a Thursday morning from 9-9.30 who focus on all different types of sport and games with the children.
Outings
If the weather is fine, we will take the children out to places of interest, to the library, the city farm, or around town – especially if relative to our project work. In the summer we may have a day trip to a country farm or zoo park. Apart from a walk to the park or shop, you are always notified.