CURRICULUM
CURRICULUM

Early Years Foundation Stage

Our nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. Your child is unique – you know that! – and we use the EYFS framework to take every child’s unique qualities into account when planning their day. Within the learning and development section of the EYFS there are seven areas of learning and development which we use to shape the educational programmes in our nurseries. Whilst all areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected, the framework splits the areas of learning into ‘Prime’ and ‘Specific’ areas.

The 3 Prime Areas

The three prime areas reflect the key skills and capacities that all children need to develop and learn effectively, and become ready for school. These three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas, are:

• Communication and Language;
• Physical development; and
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

The 4 Specific Areas

For our youngest children we focus strongly on the three prime areas, which are the basis for successful learning in the other four specific areas. As children grow in confidence and ability within the three prime areas the balance will shift towards a more equal focus on all prime and specific areas of learning.
We are also required to support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:

• Literacy;
• Mathematics;
• Understanding the World; and
• Expressive Arts and Design.

Learning Through Play

Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.
We recognise each child’s emerging needs and interests, guiding their development through warm, positive interaction. As children grow older, and as their development allows, it is expected that the balance will gradually shift towards more activities led by adults, to help children prepare for more formal learning, ready for Year 1.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Learning is a process. Every child is unique in the pace they learn at and the way in which they learn (tactile, kinesthetic, auditory and visual) to provide children with every opportunity to develop in ways that suit them. Practitioners at United Kids Childcare actively promote the three characteristics of effective learning. 
  • Playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and have a go;
  • Active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements; and
  • Creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
Playing and Exploring
  • Children explore and become inquisitive about the environment around them.
  • Children take on new challenges and engage in new experiences.
  • Children represent their experiences in their play.

Active Learning
  • Children develop high levels of concentration.
  • Children show satisfaction at meeting their own goals.
  • Children start to show persistence when challenges occur.

Creating and Thinking Critically
  • Children bring own ideas into their play.
  • Children make links with the world around them.
  • Children develop problem solving techniques.
  • Children start to test their ideas and make predictions.

Evaluation Cycle

Our planning and assessment interlink, with one better informing the other all the time. This is done through our Evaluation Cycle.

Practitioners are highly trained - they observe the child during their independent play (child led) and record their observation and identify where the child is in regards to their development. This is recorded onto an online system that parents can access at any time of the day. It records (nappy changes, meal times, sleep times and any photo observations practitioners have completed on that child). This process promotes parent partnership - parents can add observation on to the system as well.

The Evaluation Cycle is constantly operational at United Kids:
  • Consider ways to support the child to strengthen and deepen their current learning and development.
  • Promote and foster positive relationships with practitioners and children. 
  • Ensure an enabling environment in available to support children's learning and development.
  • Challenge and extend the child’s current learning and development 
  • Observe children as they act out and interact during their play with peers.

Continuous Provision

At United Kids Childcare our focus is on enabling children to grow and develop through activities that interest them and expand their imagination, creativity and communication. Children learn to apply logic and reasoning to their learning whilst developing the cognitive skills.

Alistair Bryce-Clegg in his work on ‘Continuous Provision’, explains that, “it is the cognitive development that will enable children to use and apply the sills that they acquire through your well-planned provision.”

Our planning aims to support children’s cognitive development, we focus on the skills children can acquire: investigation, observation, problem-solving, classifying, curiosity and imagination and logical thinking.

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