Learning Journey
When planning for your child we start from the most important place – your child! Each child is given their own key worker who works in partnership with you and other members of staff to ensure your child is given their own individual learning plan. This leaning plan is based on your child’s current interests and uses this information to help them develop further.
When your child starts with us at Liddle Seeds you will be asked to tell us more about your child’s likes and dislikes, as well as what they are able to do. We then use this information along with observations we have made of your child during their first month with us to complete their individual learning plan.
2 – 3 years
From the age of two children spend the majority of their time in the main area. Sleep time is still available for those who need it. Most children in this age range have a nap after lunch but again we will work with you to ensure the best care for your child. Your child will probably start toilet training around now (if they haven’t already) and again we will work with you to ensure this is done in the best manner for your child.
This time of your child’s life is important for their social development and so we offer lots of small group work for your child to take part in. Examples of these activities are painting, sand play and playing with small world toys, such as trains and educational cards. Children are encouraged to solve problems by themselves, with a member of staff on hand to help them when needed. The role play area helps your child to develop their social skills. This is also an age when your child’s vocabulary increases rapidly, and to help your child in this important part of development we ensure that there are plenty of language opportunities for them, including singing and story time. We have lots of discussions throughout the day, talking about what is happening and what we are playing with, encouraging the children to talk about what they see and how they feel.
This is a very active time for your child and so we offer lots of opportunities for your child to practice their physical skills. Children are encouraged to spend lots of time outside, playing on the bikes, slide and seesaw and when possible we visit the local park where there is larger space for them. Children of this age start to take an interest in the computers we have available at Liddle Seeds. Our computer is equipped with the paint game which is a firm favourite. We also allow supervised access to the Cbeebies website which has some great games for this age range.
3 – 5 years
This is the age of increased independence and our freedom of choice philosophy means your child can choose what they want to do and play with, in a safe and secure environment, while at the same time learning about boundaries. Children of this age enjoy taking part in role play and our dressing up box has lots of costumes for them to explore and make believe in – who knows what they will be next! Children of this age start to play more with other children, rather than alongside them, which adds a new dimension to their play. Our small play area really helps them develop these skills as they build towns together from the Lego and make tracks for the trains.
Mark making is available to help develop their handwriting skills and help is offered to those who start to develop their writing, though please note that we do not teach any formal skills. Instead children at Liddle Seeds learn through play, at their own pace, and by taking part in activities that interest them. Your child’s individual plan will take their interests into consideration while planning ways to help them develop. Children of this age also enjoy spending time in the book area and like to read the books to their friends. Our staff members read to them and talk about different topics such as the weather, the seasons, days of the week and any other topic the children might be interested in. All this helps to develop their understanding of the world and encourages them to form their own opinions on topics. We help to develop your child’s development in numeracy by having numbers around the setting and by encouraging your child to count and think problems through. Again this is done in an informal way through their play helping them to develop an understanding in real life situations.
Towards the end of their time at Liddle Seeds we work with you to help your child prepare for their next step – normally reception class at school. Once you know which school your child will attend we ask that you inform us and we will talk to your child about going to school and look at different books on the subject. All this helps them in their next step as they finish their time with us.
Base Line for Our Education
Our Early Years Curriculum provides a framework to ensure that each child receives the best quality care and education for every aspect of their development. This will be achieved through a combination of planned activities, learning through play and first hand experiences.
Each child will have the opportunity to:
- Play as a member of a group in a secure and stimulating environment.
- Talk and listen to adults and children.
- Begin to enjoy early mathematical experiences.
- Become self-confident and have a good self-image.
- Run and play with others outside.
- Be caring towards other people.
- Respect the environment.
- Enjoy using colour and making things.
- Enjoy listening to and making music.
- Test out ideas and discover how things work.
- Express his/her own feelings.
- Begin to understand right from wrong.
EYFS
Like all other Ofsted regulated pre-schools and nurseries we closely follow the Early Years Foundation Stage or EYFS. The EYFS is a comprehensive statutory framework that sets the standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five. All providers are required to use the EYFS to ensure that whatever setting parents choose, they can be confident their child will receive the same quality, care, learning and development opportunities.
Early Learning Stages
All children at Liddle Seeds follow our own Early Years Curriculum, the key principles of which are drawn from the Early Years Foundation Stage or EYFS, a distinct curriculum with defined learning objectives. This prepares the children for the work on the National Curriculum – Key Stage 1 at Primary School, and creates a secure foundation for later learning, both in school and beyond.
The Areas of Learning are a series of aims within six areas of a child’s development and learning:
- Personal, social and emotional development, which focuses on children learning how to work, play, co-operate with others and become more independent in a group other than the family.
- Communication, language and literacy, covering communication with one another and developing skills in speaking, listening, writing and reading.
- Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy, using ideas relating to number, quantity, measurement, shape and space to gain basic mathematical skills.
- Knowledge and understanding of the world, where children investigate and begin to understand the things, places and people around them.
- Physical development, relating to improving control and co-ordination of their bodies.
- Creative development, where children find ways to communicate using colour, shape, sound, texture, movement and stories.
Developmental Stages
Most children should achieve the objectives laid out in the EYFS by the end of the reception year. However, a number of our children will achieve some goals by the time they leave pre-school. Our longer term objectives are to prepare children to be able to read a simple text, write simple sentences under pictures and write numerals correctly by the time they have completed their first year at school. However, our close observation of the children and accurate and individual record keeping helps us to monitor each child’s progress and provide an appropriate programme of play and activities for your child’s needs. We can then provide extra help for children who may need it, and provide new challenges for those who have already reached their goals. Early learning goals for this age group include:- Being sensitive to the needs and feeling of others.
- Dressing and undressing on their own.
- Being able to handle books correctly.
- Understanding the concept of a word.
- Experimenting with and experiencing numbers from 1 to 10.
- Understanding their own writing (mark making) as a means of communication.
- Knowing how simple objects work – wind up, switch or battery.
- Distinguishing between sea and land on a map.
- Practising vocabulary associated with the passing of time- yesterday, tomorrow, last week, a long time ago.
- Having an awareness of the cultures and beliefs of others.
- Jumping and landing safely from low apparatus.
- Playing and clapping a steady rhythm.