Information for Parents
Our Curriculum
Our nursery curriculum focuses on the prime areas of learning. These are Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional development. These areas are the starting points for learning and work as a foundation upon which we are able to build other skills and knowledge. As children progress through nursery the curriculum includes the specific areas of learning. These are Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.
Through all areas of the curriculum, we ensure that children have opportunities for playing and exploring, active learning, creating and thinking critically. We use every experience the children have as a learning opportunity, meaning that children are encouraged to join in with routine based tasks, such as serving themselves lunch and making their own beds with support from adults. This develops the children’s self-confidence and independence and sets them up for a life of learning.
Our children take part in regular Rhythm Time sessions that promote children’s early development through music. The children engage in planned sessions that promote confidence, develop speech and language and foster creativity.
Overall, British values runs through the whole of our curriculum as this is important for the development of well-rounded individuals.
Skill and knowledge-based planning
Our planning is based on the skills that the children need to develop to move on to the next stage in learning. We use information that each child’s key person records about their progress to determine which skill they need to learn next. We then break down the skills into the components of knowledge we need to teach for children to be successful. We then use this information to plan exciting and engaging activities that inspire awe and wonder in the children at the same time as developing the skills needed to achieve their milestones.
Core stories and songs
Reading in the early years is vital for development and has a proven impact on future learning. According to research carried out by the National Literacy trust, the number of words a child is exposed to at a young age has an impact on their outcomes at secondary school age. In our nursery we have a set of core stories and cores songs in each room. We enjoy these every day and they help to develop children’s communication, language and knowledge of characters, plots and actions. These books and songs act as a constant throughout the nursery and children will see and hear familiar books in different rooms, which helps when they transition from one room to another.
Empathy Dolls
Opportunities for outdoor learning
Each room in our nursery has access to an outdoor garden space that can enable free-flow between the indoors and outdoors environments.
Each day exciting and engaging activities are set up in our outdoor spaces to allow the children opportunities to develop a range of different skills. Through ensuring the outdoors environments are an extension of the indoor environments, the children are able to learn about the world around them and take part in a range of different meaning full activities and experiences. We are also developing our understanding about growth and where our food comes from and encourage planting in our outdoor areas. Any herbs grown can be used by the children in their play outdoors or any produce grown by the children is then used by the chef in the kitchen to provide the children with healthy and well-balanced meals.
Role of the SENDCo (special educational need coordinator) and additional needs provision
At Child First Banbury we know that all children deserve to reach their own, unique potentials and inclusion runs throughout everything that we do. The nursery has a designated SENDCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) who works alongside children, families and staff to ensure that all children receive the individualised support that they need. The SENDCo will support the creation of individual learning plans for those children requiring additional support and will liaise with outside agencies and access further support, as necessary. We know that early identification is key to ensure all children receive the support they need to achieve the best possible outcomes. We also offer a sensory room space to aid self regulation and a calm space.
How we support children with EAL (English as an additional language)
We have many language and cultural backgrounds represented in our setting. We actively encourage parents to use their home languages with their children at home as a secure knowledge of home languages aids development of additional languages. In the setting, we value and celebrate the unique languages that children speak and ask parents, during settling in sessions, to share core words with us that we can use in the setting to aid transition and to enable us to communicate to children in their home language. Our rooms are equipped with multi-cultural books and resources that reflect children’s individual cultures and backgrounds and we also use visual aids and Makaton signing with children across the nursery supporting understanding and development if English is not a child’s first language.
Partnership with parents
We value parents as children’s first educators and the experts in their child’s life, therefore, we strive to work in partnership with parents and families. Through open and consistent communication, we build strong relationships that assist us in supporting children through a collaborative partnership. We truly value the benefits and impact that the home learning environment has on a child’s development, therefore, we will actively share activity ideas from nursery to home and have dedicated family rooms with access to home learning materials for families to access as they wish. We also ask that parents share their children’s interests and development seen at home so that we can continue to promote this in the setting.
Our settling in process begins with a home visit, whereby, that relationship begins to build from the very beginning. A member of management and your child’s key person will visit you in your home to fill in relevant documentation and begin to build a bond with you and your child in your place of comfort. From this initial visit, we then provide short settling in sessions in the setting that build up over time to ensure you and your child can adapt into nursery life and settle effectively.
We also arrange multiple events throughout the year, which enable families to join us in celebrations or in stay and play sessions with a developmental focus. Each of these events allows parents to become involved in nursery life, as well as build up strong relationships with our staff teams and families. We also hold open days throughout the year and parent meetings opportunities, whereby, parents are able to talk to the child’s key person about their development and collaborate ideas about next steps in learning.
A Key Person System
At Child First Nursery Banbury, we operate a Key Person system. Your child will have an individual Key Person who will observe progress and development. The Key Person approach gives every child the reassurance to feel secure and cared for, helping them to become familiar with the Nursery environment and to feel confident and safe within it.
We recognise every child’s individuality, efforts and achievements and believe that strong, secure relationships between adults and children are crucial for your child’s development.
The Key Person meets the needs of each child in their care and responds sensitively to their feelings, ideas and behaviour. They offer security, reassurance and continuity and are usually the one to support and soothe their key children where needed. They are in the best position to understand children’s individual needs and to share information with parents about their child’s experiences in Nursery.
How we monitor your child’s progress
All early year’s providers are required to meet certain standards set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). One of the requirements is that members of staff use ongoing observations to monitor how your child is developing and then use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience in all areas of their learning and development.
Our method to help with planning and keeping track of progress is using an individual progress tracker. The tracker is divided into each area of learning and development, setting out the child’s progress across the prime and specific areas of learning from birth to five years.Good nutrition is essential during childhood, as it is a time of rapid growth, development and activity. This is also a vital time for healthy tooth development and prevention of decay. General eating habits and patterns are formed in the first few years of life. A nutritious diet, together with good hydration, provides your child with good eating habits for life, healthy skin, a healthy weight, secure emotional well-being, and improved behaviour.
We source our food locally from the local Butchers and Greengrocers, and have a chef and kitchen assistant on site to prepare and cook the children’s food daily. Our menus are nutritionally balanced across the week, include food from the different cultures attending the nursery and are updated termly to reflect this, allowing all the children to eat food familiar to them and try new foods too.
To give every parent peace of mind, our seasonal menus are nutritionally well balanced. They rotate on a four-week cycle and are prepared by our qualified chefs to ensure we meet all children’s dietary and cultural needs, as well as exploring different tastes at mealtimes.
Learning Journeys
Parents and carers are a vital aspect of children’s learning and development. As the primary carer and educator for their child, it is essential that parents and carers play a part in nursery life and the care and education that takes place within the setting.
Electronic Learning Journals are an efficient and effective method for parents and carers to be ever more involved and in touch with their child’s learning and development. Staff within the nursery routinely capture photographs and videos as part of their observation process. These are then enhanced with a description of the skills that are being demonstrated and the learning that is taking place, based on links made to the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.
Through an app on their smart phone, tablet or computer, parents and carers have 24-hour, unrestricted access to their child’s learning journey and all of the observations and assessments completed within it. Simply downloading the app and logging in via their registered details is all that parents need to do.
To allow parents and carers to contribute even further, the home observation feature provides a means to share photos, videos and information with the setting that the Key Person can use to inform their individual planning for each child.
Children learn skills and their interests can change rapidly, so a simple and effective way for parents and carers to share this information from home only strengthens the opportunities available to their child.
What are prime and specific areas?
The three prime areas are:
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
Involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
Physical Development
Involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Communication and Language
Involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
The four specific areas are:
Literacy Development
Involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
Mathematics
Involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting; understanding and using numbers; calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces and measures.
Understanding the World
Involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
Expressive Arts and Design
Involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play and design and technology.