Curriculum

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, Healthy Futures

Our Vision is to provide a fun, stimulating and secure environment where children can develop individuality and independence, whilst learning through play. In our community- based provision, we work very closely with parents and carers to help achieve the best possible outcomes and to ease the transition to life at primary school.

At Scalliwags we use the Development Matters (September 2023 edition) to support our curriculum. Our aim is to create a learning environment and build relationships which support, enhance and invite a child’s curiosity, confidence and individual competency regardless of background, circumstance or needs. We work collaboratively with parents and carers to encourage independent, enthusiastic learners who thrive and reach their full potential. It is our intent that children who enter our Pre-School, begin their lifelong learning journey by developing physically, verbally, cognitively and emotionally whilst also embedding a positive attitude and a love of learning.

To ensure children make outstanding progress during their time at Scalliwags, it is our intent to take into consideration the starting points and needs of our children as they begin their learning journey. Every child has access to a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum which prepares them for now and for the future in terms of opportunities and experiences. Following personal interests and individual needs, allows us to plan and provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum to support learning and development and achieve their next steps.

Our EYFS Curriculum aims to enable our children to be:

• Competent and creative learners, who are curious about the world around them.
• Secure and confident, who enjoy coming to pre-school, learning new skills and building on their existing knowledge.
• Skillful communicators, who connect with others through language and play, ensuring that they play in a vocabulary rich environment.

Our Teaching

At Scalliwags, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. This is made up of four overriding principles which our early years education is based upon:

• Unique Child – Every child is 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 and parents and carers.
• Learning and Development – Children develop and learn in different ways. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early year’s provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities

The curriculum provides a play-based learning environment, combined with adult led activities and basic skills, to ensure children make progress and gain the skills required to enter reception. The children are provided with ample opportunities in both our indoor and outdoor areas. They engage in planned, focused activities as well as self-initiated and free flow activities.

The learning experiences within our Early Years are linked to the seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS. These areas are split into three prime areas and four specific areas. The former are those which the children should develop first and are considered most essential for the healthy development and future learning of our children. As children grow and make progress in the three prime areas, they will naturally develop skills within the four specific areas.

The Three Prime Areas

The Four Specific Areas

Achievement

The experiences of the task will be revisited and demonstrated through the children being deeply engaged in play. Our children will grow to be confident, competent lifelong learners and good citizens.

The children at Scalliwags will experience a smooth transition to Reception. Effective communication and collaboration will ensure the children leave our setting with a solid foundation of learning on which to build upon in their new schools.

We use learning journals across the EYFS where we evidence for the children and their families the successes of the children throughout their time at Scalliwags.

As a team, we ensure that staff attend external meetings and training to ensure that we feel confident with our judgements and that these judgements are consistent with a range of other settings. Assessment starts with careful observations which are then used to inform planning and learning, teaching is more effective when children feel a sense of belonging, curiosity and competence showing resilience and tenacity.

By monitoring assessment procedures regularly, we can effectively demonstrate what learning is taking place and how each child is progressing in all seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.

Children benefit from meaningful learning across the curriculum and staff plan resourcefully for opportunities of communication, sustained shared thinking and physical challenge to build on existing skills, taking into account the Characteristics of Effective Learning.

Rich first-hand experiences (inside, outdoors, visitors and outside trips) to widen experiences, awe and wonderment, promoting cultural capital for all children.

Exploratory learning and thinking creatively including problem solving across all areas of learning. New vocabulary and concepts through reading will excite and engage all learners which includes staff modelling standard English and asking high quality questions.

Our Curriculum will promote and support children’s emotional security and development of their character enabling children to take risks in a safe and secure environment. Supporting children to be active and to develop physically including giving clear messages to children why it is important to eat, drink and exercise as well as to be kind to others.

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Forest School (East Peckham setting only)

Children who attend the Scalliwags setting in East Peckham have the opportunity to attend Forest School on Wednesday mornings. We attend East Peckham Primary School and are supported by their Forest School teacher, Mrs Wheddon.

The children are able to access the natural environment in all weather, allowing them to develop a relationship and build experiences with the natural world.

Forest School puts emphasis on practical skills and practitioners will teach skills and a wide range of topics. Topics such as the weather, minibeasts, environment, keeping safe outdoors and building.

Forest School provides hands on experiences in a natural environment.

Forest school benefits lots of children who may find a classroom setting challenging to learn in, as it provides ample space for physical freedom, risk taking, problem solving and the opportunity to use our ‘outdoor’ voices. This style of learning provides a safe, supportive environment that may be better suited to some children’s preferred learning styles.

Forest School provides plenty of opportunities for physical development, from fine motor skills to gross motor skills, and lots of fun exercises too. This helps to develop an awareness of our bodies, our physical capabilities and limitations.