SOUTH CERNEY PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
The heart of our community ~ promoting learning through play
The provision for children's development and learning is guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Our provision reflects the four overarching principles of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
How we provide for development and learning
Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
The Areas of Development and Learning comprise:
Three Prime Areas
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Personal, social and emotional development
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Physical Development
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Communication and language
Four Specific Areas
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Literacy
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Mathematics
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Understanding the world
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Expressive arts and design
A Unique Child
Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
Positive Relationships
Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
Enabling Environments
Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners, parents and carers.
Learning and Development
Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision including children with special educational needs and disabilities.
For each area, the level of progress that children are expected to have attained by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage is defined by the Early Learning Goals. These goals state what is expected that children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.
The Development Matters guidance sets out the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the Early Learning Goals. Our setting has regards to these matters when we assess children and plan for their learning. Our programme supports children to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for;
Personal, social and emotional development
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Making relationships
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Self-confidence and self-awareness
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Managing feelings and behaviour
Physical Development
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Moving and handling
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Health and self-care
Communication and language
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Listening and attention
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Understanding
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Speaking
Literacy
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Reading
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Writing
Mathematics
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Numbers
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Shape, space and measure
Our approach to learning and development and assessment - Learning through play
Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be how young children learn to think. Our setting uses the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance to plan and provide a range of play activities, which help children to make progress in each of the areas of learning and development. In some of these activities, children decide how they will use the activity and, in others, an adult takes the lead in helping the children to take part in the activity. In all activities, information from 'Development Matters' the Early Years Foundation Stage has been used to decide what equipment to provide and how to provide it.
Characteristics of effective learning
We understand that all children engage with other people and their environment through the characteristics of effective learning that are described in the Development Matters the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance as:
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playing and exploring - engagement;
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active learning - motivation; and
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reating and thinking critically - thinking.
We aim to provide for the characteristics of effective learning by observing how a child is learning and being clear about what we can do and provide in order to support each child to remain an effective and motivated learner.