THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Children at our nursery learn through play in a secure and happy environment. The nursery team plan the curriculum carefully to meet every child’s individual needs and interests.

The children in the nursery are part of the Foundation Stage. It’s the stage of education that children are in from the age of 3 until they are 5 years old. The Nursery Team working with your child will focus on the Early Learning Goals.

The ELGs set out what most children are expected to achieve by the end of the Foundation Stage. They help the nursery team focus on what children need to learn. They are not a curriculum with lots of different subjects. There are six broad areas of learning.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Your child will learn to be self-confident, take an interest in things, know what their own needs are, tell the difference between right and wrong, and be able to dress and undress.

Communication, Language and Literacy

Your child will learn to talk confidently and clearly, enjoying stories, songs and poems, hearing and saying sounds, and linking them to the alphabet. They will read some familiar words and learn to use a pencil.

Mathematical Development

Your child will develop an understanding of maths through stories, songs, games and imaginative play. They will become comfortable with numbers and ideas such as ‘heavier than’ or ‘bigger’. They will be aware of shapes and space.

Creative Development

Your child will explore colours and shapes, trying out all kinds of different dance, making things, telling stories and making music. As well as singing on a daily basis.

Physical Development

Your child will learn to move confidently, controlling their body and handling equipment. They will be encouraged to develop their fine and gross motor skills as well as their awareness of themselves, others and the space around them.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

Your child will explore and find out about the world around them, asking questions about it. They will build with different materials, know about everyday technology and learn what it is used for. They will find out about past events in their lives and their families’ lives. They find out about different cultures and beliefs.