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Early Years Curriculum

Here at Little Wonders Nursery we deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum which covers children 0-5 years.

We take the approach that each child is unique, with special talents and abilities and an individual learning style. We acknowledge that children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and believe that all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected.

Our Nursery offers a safe, caring learning environment, which promotes physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being, with good communications skills, as part of the core curriculum. We have a strong focus on developing key literacy and numeracy skills, artistic abilities and interests and a general knowledge and understanding of the world.

What documents underpin EYFS curriculum 

As a early years setting we follow the EYFS statutory framework, with the most recent changes brought in in September 2023. This saw changes to ratio requirements, childminder guidance on sibling care and safety guidance for mealtime supervision.

From January 2024, the current EYFS statutory framework was replaced by 2 separate documents.

  • EYFS statutory framework for childminders
  • EYFS statutory framework for group and school settings

Working hand in hand with the EYFS Framework is the updated Development Matters document, designed to be used to plan your Early Years curriculum. This non-statutory document is used by our nursery manager to help shape their chosen curriculum.

Another document used when creating an EYFS curriculum is the Early Learning Goals (ELG) guidance. Designed to not be used to decide what is taught in the Early Years but to assist with EYFS assessment.

 

What we teach 

Little Wonders Nursery follow the EYFS statutory framework, this decides what is taught. There are seven areas of learning that your EYFS curriculum must include, they are split into prime and specific areas.

The Three (3) Prime Areas of Learning and Development:

 Personal, Social and Emotional Development This area helps to shape children’s social skills and develops respect and an understanding of their different feelings.

 Physical Development We all know that young children often love to be active, but they also need to understand that continued physical activity as well as healthy food choices are important, and why.

 Communication and Language Providing an environment for young children to express themselves and speak and listen in a range of situations allows them to develop their language and communication skills. The specific areas provide the range of experiences and opportunities for children to broaden their knowledge and skills:

 

The Four (4) Specific Areas of Learning and Development:

 Literacy It’s important for children to discover phonemic awareness – the ability to hear and identify different words and sounds, and also to start reading and writing.

 Mathematics Children need to be guided in developing skills with numbers and calculations, as well as being able to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

 Understanding the World This involves children making sense of things by observing and exploring everything from the places they spend time to the technology and other things that they use. 

 Expressive Arts and Design Activities like drawing, playing with paint, instruments or technology all give children the chance to express themselves and learn new things.

 

Our curriculums are tailored to meet the needs of the children. They are purposefully adapted in line with the curriculum intent (what you aim the children to know by the end of their journey with you.)

The EYFS curriculum is very much play-based, with plenty of opportunities for the children to engage with activities and experiences to develop across each area of learning.