Learning opportunities are presented to you child through play and other relevant experiences.Our pre-school curriculum is planned using curricular guidance from Pre-School Education. 

By the time children start pre-school, they have already had a variety of experiences and have developed in a number of ways.  To build upon the learning that has taken place in the home and its immediate environment, pre-school staff should provide children with a rich variety of challenging play activities and other experiences in a stimulating environment.  The focus should be to allow children to learn at their own pace, gain a positive image of themselves as learners, be able to cope with uncertainty and to learn through trial and error.

We aim to provide a curriculum which is broad and balanced and which allows the children of this unit to make choices and provide opportunities to develop learning associated with the following pre-school goals:-

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Children learn how to work, play and co-operate with others beyond the family setting.
• Develop an understanding of self and others
• Grow in confidence
• Show appropriate self-respect and establish effective relationships with other children and adults
• Develop independence, make choices, explore and solve simple practical problems
• Develop an understanding of what is right/wrong and why
• Treat living things and property in their environment with care and concern
• Show a range of feelings – for example – joy, sorrow, wonder at their experiences of the world
• Have equal opportunities regardless of gender, race, religion or disability

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND MOVEMENT

• Develop physical control, mobility and awareness of space
• Develop a positive attitude towards a healthy and active lifestyle
• To give opportunities to use small and large equipment so that the children may move confidently and imaginatively with increasing control and co-ordination
• Provide the children with opportunities to handle tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control

THE ARTS

• To develop the child’s imagination and their ability to communicate, express ideas and feelings in creative ways
• Provide opportunities for the children to explore sound, colour, texture, shape, form and space in 2 and 3 dimensions
• Through art, music, stories and imaginative play the children can use their imagination, listen and observe
• Provide a variety of tools, materials, instruments and other materials for children to express their ideas and communicate their feelings

THE WORLD AROUND US

• Children are naturally curious and by providing them with a wide variety of activities and experiences in play they begin to develop skills and concepts including observation and experimentation and free exploration of their surroundings
• Develop knowledge and understanding of their environment, other people, features of the natural and made world
• Use their senses to explore a range of natural and man-made materials
• Children are provided with the opportunity to talk about their lives, their environment and families
• Develop an understanding of past and present events in their lives
• Children will be given the opportunity to use a variety of materials and explore their properties - for example - sand, water, clay and dough
• Observe and respect living things, handling them with care and sensitivity
• Be encouraged to make predictions
• Make models – for example – in construction play and with a variety of materials
• Be presented with opportunities to put things together either natural or man-made using glue, folding, cutting
• Given the opportunity to use ICT where appropriate to support learning
• Learn about themselves and their body parts
• Talk about the weather and the seasons at appropriate times of the year
• Talk about some issues relating to safety in the pre-school setting and in the wider environment

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

• Children are encouraged to listen attentively
• Children are encouraged to talk about their experiences
• Use a growing vocabulary with increasing fluency
• Listen to and respond to stories, rhymes, songs and poems
• Make up their own stories
• To enjoy and handle books with respect
• Recognise their own names and some familiar words
• Will be encouraged to use pictures and symbols to communicate meaning, showing awareness of some of the different purposes of writing

EARLY MATHEMATICAL EXPERIENCES

(focus on achievement through practical activities and using and understanding language in the development of simple mathematical concepts)

• Use of mathematical language to describe shape, position, size and quantity
• To recognise and recreate pattern
• Become familiar with number rhymes, stories, songs, counting games and activities
• To sort, match, order, sequence and count using every day objects
• Develop an awareness of space

The six areas of learning are brought together when topic work and play areas are planned for your child.

It is our hope that your child will have a happy, safe, secure, relaxed year in this Nursery where many of the goals previously outlined are achieved in an interesting and challenging classroom environment.