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British Berries Nursery

Curriculum & Philosophy


Schools and early years providers are required to follow a structure of learning, development and care for children from birth to five years old. This is called the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and it enables your child to learn through a range of activities. Your child’s development is closely monitored through constant observations both formal and informal. The underpinning philosophy of the Early Years Foundation Stage is that each child is an individual and will develop at an individual pace. When parents choose a nursery, they want and need to know that their child is safe, taken care of and being helped to thrive. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework that provides this assurance.


THE EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE (EYFS)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is how the early years professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and the age of 5. 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 5, their early years experiences should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure and support their development, care and learning needs. Nurseries, pre-schools, school reception classes and childminders registered to deliver the EYFS must follow a legal document called the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. The EYFS framework exists to support all professionals working in early years to help your child, and was developed with a number of early years experts and parents. The new EYFS framework also has a greater emphasis on your role in helping your child develop. Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through seven areas of learning and development. Children should mostly develop the three prime areas first: • Communication and language • Physical development • Personal, social and emotional development


These prime areas are the most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning. As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in four specific areas: • Literacy • Mathematics • Understanding the world • Expressive arts and design


These seven areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. The professionals teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities are suited to your child’s unique needs. This is similar to a curriculum in primary and secondary schools, but it is suitable for very young children, and is designed to be really flexible so that staff can follow your child's unique needs and interests. With the EYFS, children learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking, which takes place both indoors and outside.


Learning Environment

Our learning environment reflects our belief that children are inherently curious, seek relationships with others, and construct their knowledge and understanding of the world through their active engagement and experiences with their environment and the people, materials, and experiences within it. From a philosophical standpoint, we consider ourselves to be social constructivists. As a reflection of our educational philosophy, we provide a learning environment rich in materials and possibilities. Of the utmost importance are children’s active explorations in the environment. Children’s formation of ideas through experiences and processes of inquiry are valued. Rich and varied materials are provided for the purpose of experimentation and creative expression. Children are challenged to research their theories of how things work and are encouraged to engage in a wide variety of experiences. Children are frequently engaged in small group interactions where each voice can be heard and various ideas explored and results negotiated. Each child builds skills not only in traditional cognitive, gross motor and social categories, but also in the areas of problem solving, original ideas and strength of conviction. A primary task of the educator is to provide an environment that is filled with unlimited possibilities – possibilities that encourage children to make discoveries, to experiment with their own ideas, and to interact in meaningful ways with other people. Educators are constantly engaged in a process of observation and documentation in order to develop the best possible educational environment for children. The environment is intended to be responsive to the interests and needs of children while simultaneously encouraging children to develop in ways that are projected by educators. Each classroom, as well as the school as a whole, acts as a democratic model where all participants interact with one another in a spirit of mutual respect and an attitude of care.