EYFS

Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is how the Government and early years' professionals describe the time in your child's life between birth and age Five. This is a very important stage as it helps your child get ready for school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes. From when your child is born up until the age of Five, their early years experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure and support their development, care and learning needs.

For further Information on the EYFS click here.

How My Child Will Be Learning

The EYFS framework explains how and what your child will be learning to support their healthy development.

Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through Seven areas of learning and development: Primarily the areas of Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development. As they grow, these prime areas will help them develop skills in Literacy, Maths, Understanding the World and Expressive Art and Design.

At The Oaks we ensure that the activities are suited to your child's unique needs. The children learn by playing and exploring and being active through critical and creative thinking both indoors and outdoors. The day is carefully planned to allow for a good balance of both structured and free play activities.

Our Curriculum

Our nursery provides a high-quality, inclusive early years education in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and fully meets Ofsted requirements. We create a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment where every child is recognised as a unique individual and supported to make good progress from their individual starting points.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced and delivered through a balance of play-based, child-initiated experiences and purposeful adult-led activities, enabling children to develop key knowledge, skills and behaviours across all seven areas of learning. We place a strong emphasis on the prime areas-communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development-as the foundations for all future learning, while also promoting early literacy, mathematics, understanding of the world, and expressive arts and design through meaningful, engaging experiences.

We use ongoing observation and assessment to identify each child’s interests and next steps, ensuring learning is tailored and inclusive, including for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our curriculum promotes curiosity, independence, resilience and a love of learning, while embedding opportunities to develop vocabulary, critical thinking and social skills. Safeguarding and children’s wellbeing are central to our practice and we actively promote healthy lifestyles, positive behaviour, and respect for diversity and British values. We work in close partnership with parents and carers, sharing information regularly to support continuity between home and the setting.

Through this holistic approach, we aim to ensure all children leave our preschool confident, capable, and well-prepared for the transition to primary school.

Special & Educational Needs

Our Nursery has regard to the DfE Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs and strives to provide a warm welcome environment and appropriate learning for all children. Members of staff are trained to observe, assess and monitor the general development and progress of the children and report on any matters of concern to the Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO).

Other Activities

Other activities include: gym in the main school, local walks, music and movement, singing, painting, modelling, gardening, cookery and story telling at the library.

The children have access to an enclosed garden.

Parental Involvement

We value parental involvement and recognise the importance of working with parents for the happiness and well being of the children. The children will all be given a Yellow Book when they start. This forms a line of communication between parents and Nursery Staff. We ask that parents keep the book updated regularly with information about what the child has enjoyed doing at home and over the weekend. Photos and other bits can be stuck in! The children enjoy looking at the books and using them in group discussions. Your child's Key Person will write in the book every week. These books are lovely to look back at and reflect upon when your child's time at Nursery comes to an end.