Early Years

Our Nursery and Reception classrooms are inspiring environments where children can engage in a range of learning opportunities. Our staff teams are passionate about providing the best start for all of our children and their families. We use the Statutory Framework for EYFS, Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters to scaffold our curriculum across both Nursery and Reception. You can find links to these documents below.

Our curriculum is not static, as we respond to the needs and interests of our children. We are flexible and responsive to our children’s next steps, enabling them to develop the skills to become lifelong learners. At Long Furlong we support children to develop and learn through play, using both the indoors and outdoor environment.

The EYFS has defined areas of learning as prime areas and specific areas.

The three prime areas of learning are:

· Personal, Social and Emotional Development

· Communication and Language

· Physical Development

The four specific areas of learning are:

· Literacy

· Mathematics

· Understanding the world

· Expressive Arts and Design.

All areas of learning are important and are interconnected with each other. In the early years, our curriculum allows children to learn about the world through being active, exploring, being creative and learning to think.

The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

• 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

• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things