TEACHING AND LEARNING POLICY

Contents

  1. The Curriculum ..
  2. The Teaching 
  3. The Environment 
  4. Special Educational Needs 
  5. Monitoring arrangements
  1. The Curriculum

All nursery settings in England follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and must comply with the Statutory Framework, which sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five.

The curriculum is divided into three ‘Prime’ areas and four ‘Specific’ areas of development.  All the areas of learning and development are important and are inter-connected.  Development Matters provides non-statutory curriculum guidance for providers.

The Prime Areas

Communication and Language

Language development underpins and supports all areas of learning.  Children’s early interactions form the foundations for language and cognitive development, so quality conversation in a language-rich environment is crucial. 

At The Crown Nursery we build children’s language effectively by;

  • modelling use of language
  • listening carefully and patiently
  • consistently commenting on what children are doing
  • engaging in conversation based on children’s interests
  • echoing back what children say with new vocabulary added
  • reading frequently with children, repeating stories
  • actively engaging children in a range of fiction and non-fiction text
  • explaining unfamiliar words an concepts ensuring children gain understanding
  • sharing rhymes, songs and poetry
  • providing extensive opportunities for children to embed and extend new language through play and in a range of contexts
  • supporting language used in role-play
  • narrating use of language
  • encouraging children to share their ideas
  • encouraging children to elaborate through sensitive questioning
  • expanding on children’s phrasing
  • providing a varied, rich curriculum which explores a range of topic areas
  • making deliberate mistakes highlighting that sometimes we all get things wrong
  • displaying vocabulary
  • using IT appropriately to support language development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

At The Crown Nursery we priorities supporting children’s personal, social and emotional development as this is crucial for cognitive development and ultimately in order to lead happy, healthy, successful lives.

We support this development by;

  • building strong and supportive relationships
  • modelling how to nurture and care for each other
  • helping children to recognise their own and other’s feelings
  • to understand how to manage their own emotions by modelling the use of calming down techniques for example
  • supporting children to develop a positive sense of self by encouraging them to recognise their own strengths
  • encouraging children to achieve their goals and feel a sense of success
  • using praise to help children develop confidence
  • supporting children to develop resilience and determination
  • guiding children on how to look after their bodies
  • encouraging healthy eating
  • supporting children to manage their person needs independently
  • supporting children to make friendships, co-operate and resolve conflict constructively
  • modelling how to be assertive in an appropriate way, whilst showing sensitivity to others
  • helping children appreciate similarities and differences between themselves and others
  • supporting them to develop positive attitudes towards diversity and inclusion
  • helping children to manage transitions positively
  • encouraging children to develop a sense of responsibility as a member of a community
  • explaining why rules are important
  • involving children in decision making about the setting and their activities
  • exploring the environment beyond the setting by visiting places in the local area
  • inviting visitors who help children understand the importance of caring for themselves eg. nurses, police, fireman                                                        

Physical Development

Physical activity is also vital in order that children develop and continue to lead happy, healthy lives.  Gross motor skills develop rapidly throughout early childhood, providing the foundation for developing healthy bodies, social and emotional well-being, motor control and precision.  At the Crown Nursery we provide a variety of opportunities indoors and outdoors for children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility.  We use our own outdoor area, organise daily outings to local parks and encourage children to independently dress themselves, feed themselves and use the toilet.

In nursery, to support the development of gross motor skills we provide;

  • floor mats for rolling, crawling
  • soft play equipment
  • tunnels, dens, large boxes
  • climbing wall/equipment
  • wheeled toys
  • balance beams
  • steps/stairs
  • music to move to

In nursery, to support the development of fine motor skills we provide;

  • a range of materials to hold, squeeze, squash, bend, throw, roll, pick up, drop
  • a range of balls to roll, kick, throw, and catch
  • sand and water
  • playdoh, clay, paint
  • pens, pencils, crayons
  • small world activities
  • puzzles
  • arts and crafts
  • small tools including scissors, hammers, large plastic tweezers
  • threading activities
  • food, knives, forks, spoons for eating independently

The Specific Areas

Literacy

If children enjoy language they will enjoy the process of learning to read and write text.  Language development happens from birth when adults talk to children, share books, recite rhymes, songs and poetry.    At The Crown Nursery we prioritise planning learning in order that children can develop the initial literacy skill of acquiring language. 

We believe it is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of books and reading.  In order to read children must; sound out unfamiliar words (decoding), develop sight recognition of printed words and must be able to comprehend language. They will use their understanding of language to then learn to write which involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas).  Skills of composition begin to develop in the early years through listening to stories and events and through initially sharing ideas through speech.

To support the development of early literacy skills we;

  • talk and listen to children, modelling effective communication
  • sharing rhymes and songs
  • providing a range of high-quality books
  • providing comfortable, fun spaces for children to share books
  • read books daily, demonstrating how text is read from left to right, top to bottom
  • share the names of parts of a book eg. cover, title, author, blurb
  • hold extended discussion around books, encouraging children to ask and answer questions about what they have heard
  • explore favourite books through linked, fun activities including visits to the park, role-play, dressing up cloths, small world play, themed days
  • encourage children to recognise their own name
  • support children to notice print around nursery and in the local area eg. bus numbers, road signs, shop names
  • encourage drawing with a variety of resources
  • motivate children to mark make providing opportunities in a variety of ways
  • support children to write some letter correctly
  • help children identify individual sounds and then some letter groups eg. th, sh, ch, ee, or, igh
  • encourage children to identify words through oral blending eg. h-a-t, what would I like you to get?
  • provide a few common exception words for reading eg. the, do, said ,were
  • support reading of simple phrases

Mathematics

At The Crown Nursery we support the children to learn necessary basic mathematical skills, knowledge and understating in order that they have a strong grounding to build on. Children learn to count confidently, developing a deep understanding of numbers and the relationships between them.  They explore aspects of 2D and 3D shapes and learn to measure; comparing weight, length, capacity and time.  They expand their mathematical vocabulary and develop reasoning skills across all areas.

To help develop mathematical learning we;

  • help children develop positive attitudes and an interest in maths
  • provide frequent opportunities to build knowledge and develop understanding
  • use rhyme, songs and books to embed mathematical learning
  • encourage children to use manipulatives for counting and sorting
  • providing a range of visual models of numbers
  • promote mathematical discussion, modelling the use of language
  • use positional language to describe children at play
  • encourage children to complete a range of puzzles
  • provide opportunities for children to build using a variety of shapes and resources
  • provide pattern making opportunities and equipment
  • providing ‘real-life’ mathematical problems
  • use board games and outdoor play to explore and describe routes and directions
  • suggest challenges to develop learning and deepen understanding
  • encourage mathematical develop throughout each day eg. setting places for lunch, counting out drinks cups, looking for numbers and shapes during outings

Understanding the World

The frequency and range of children’s experiences help them develop knowledge and understanding of their own physical world, their community and places beyond their immediate locality.  At The Crown Nursery we support children to respect and appreciate the culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world we live in. 

To help develop children’s understanding of the world we;

  • use stories, non-fiction books and technology to share information about out world
  • identify features of different places and compare
  • support children to make connections between their lives and the lives of others, identifying similarities and differences
  • share memories and photos of each other’s lives in the past
  • explore and compare people’s different cultures and believes
  • provide a variety of natural materials and items for children to explore
  • encourage children to enjoy and experience natural phenomena such as rain, splashing puddles, flowers bloom, minibeasts, snowstorms
  • identify the different seasons and encourage children to compare them and the effect they have on the world around them
  • experiment with planting seeds and caring for plants
  • model observational and investigational skills
  • encourage children to explore how things work and move
  • draw children’s attention to forces they feel eg pushing, pulling, magnetic attraction
  • provide children with an opportunity to change materials from one state to another
  • use simple maps

Expressive Arts and Design

It is crucial that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts as this, as well as providing joy, supports their imagination and creativity.  The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is fundamental for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to respond to and communicate through the arts.

To support development in the arts we;

  • stimulate enjoyment of music through singing and playing music
  • encourage children to experiment with sound making and to play musical instruments, creating their own songs
  • play sound matching games
  • encourage children to move to music, exploring different dances and performing solo or in groups
  • ensure that the physical environment includes objects and materials with different patterns, colours, tones and textures for all to explore
  • enable children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials
  • support children to manipulate different materials
  • stimulate an interest in making marks
  • help children develop their pretend play by modelling, sensitively joining in and helping them articulate and elaborate their ideas
  • explore complex stories using small world equipment
  • provide lots of flexible and open-ended resources for children to play imaginatively
  • encourage children to experiment with joining materials
  • introduce children to the work of famous artists from across times and cultures
  • invite artists, musicians and craftspeople into the setting
  • encourage children to draw from their imagination and from observation
  • help children to add detail to their drawings
  • discuss the differences in colours and explore colour mixings
  • create both independently and collaboratively
  1. The Teaching

At The Crown Nursery we know that children learn best when their well-being needs have been met and when they are genuinely interested in what they are learning about.  Our priority is to ensure that children feel safe and positive in the environment and engaged in their own learning.  We carefully plan our provision around the character characteristics of effective teaching and learning are;

  • playing and exploring; children investigate and explore things and ‘have a go’
  • active learning; children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
  • creating and thinking critically; children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things

Teaching is a broad term which covers many different ways in which adults can help young children learn.  It includes;

  • interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities
  • communicating and modelling language
  • showing/demonstrating
  • explaining
  • exploring ideas
  • encouraging
  • questioning
  • recalling/rehearsing
  • providing a narrative for what you or the children are doing
  • facilitating and setting challenges
  • providing equipment/resources
  • organising a physical environment
  • establishing structure and routines
  • setting expectations

Adult led provision

At The Crown Nursery in order to enhance learning and progress we also deliver direct adult led teaching sessions.  These are held at various times throughout the day, usually at the beginning or end of a session to avoid interrupting the children as they learn through play.  Our qualified teachers run these sessions in two ways;

Small groups

These sessions are carefully planned based on assessments and gap analysis in all areas of the EYFS curriculum, to meet the individual learning needs of the children.  The targeted groups are kept fluid and flexible, as children make progress at different rates and can develop strengths in some learning areas whilst also needing support in others.  The learning objective is shared with the children and activities are planned to engage the children according to their interests and learning needs.

Whole class

We also provide opportunities for children to join whole group short teaching sessions.  Our qualified teachers deliver fun and interesting French lessons on a daily basis, teaching children basic vocabulary including numbers to 10, colours and food names.  The children love learning a new language and particularly enjoy singing French songs!

  1. The Environment

The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.  Enabling environments encourage babies and young children to play because they feel relaxed, comfortable and happy in them. When children feel safe and secure they feel confident to explore and learn. At The Crown Nursery we organise the indoor and outdoor provision in a way that prioritises the children’s well-being, reflects their interests and enhances active learning.

Basic provision within the setting

These are the resources and equipment we deliberately provide and use consistently in nursery.  Young children expect to find this equipment in play areas so they offer familiarity and comfort, and help support our children’s transition into our nursery setting.  They include sand and water, brick play, dressing up clothes, books, paint, common construction sets, table-top toys, climbing frames and wheeled toys for example.  The resources are arranged in a way that is age appropriate and are enjoyed by all the children. 

Continuous provision within the setting

We use continuous provision to enhance our basic provision.  It is linked closely to our careful observations, assessments and judgements of the children’s strengths, learning needs or learning preferences.   It is provided to raise attainment in specific areas through independent active learning and high-level engagement.  Resources, equipment and activities are selected specifically to challenge children appropriately, so they are not simply consolidating learning but are able to extend their learning in the environment as they play.  Continuous provision encourages our children to explore new concepts, to develop a new skills, to deepen understanding, to engage in higher level thinking or to discover a completely new area of learning.  Adults will work alongside the children as they learn and play, skilfully interjecting individuals and groups of children when they see an opportunity to support the learning to develop and establish deep-level learning. 

  1. Special Educational Needs

The Crown Nursery has a regard for the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

SENCO: Charlotte Grubb

At The Crown Nursery we recognise that children learn in different ways and at different rates and plan for this accordingly. Our aim is to support all children attending the nursery to attain their maximum potential within their individual capabilities.

Assessments are used to make judgements about a child’s attainment and provision is adapted accordingly to address their individual needs.  Practitioners are skilled at observing children at play and identifying where they can support and enhance learning.  They will interact with children to extend learning and will provide support to guide and scaffold learning opportunities where appropriate.

If there are any significant emerging concerns following observations and interactions, practitioners and parents/carers will devise a targeted plan to support a child’s future learning.  Other professionals, such as health visitors, may also be consulted if appropriate.