Queniborough Pre-School
Curriculum
We follow the Government’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework which sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth up to 5 years of age and guidance from Development Matters, which sets out the pathways of children’s development in broad ages and stages and the seven areas of development.
Our curriculum covers all key areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage and is designed to meet the needs of each individual child. We use planned experiences, activities and routines to help children learn and develop, based on the EYFS, children’s interests and our termly themes.
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 plans and provides 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 have the choice in how they will use the activity (child led), in others an adult takes the lead in helping the children, observing, challenging and teaching.
Curriculum and Assessment
Young children live in the here and now, so we seize the moments when children show curiosity in their environment around them and reflect this in our curriculum.
Our observations of your children highlight their likes and interests and identify any areas that need support so we can develop our daily activities and resources to compliment these observations. Our activities cover all 7 areas of learning and development.
We complete a progress check on children between 2-3 years to highlight any gaps in the three prime areas of the EYFS so we can support this (Personal, social and emotional development, Communication and language and Physical development).
If we identify any areas of concern, we will work with you as parents to see how best we can support your child and ask for your help in this. In some cases, a referral to another professional may be needed.
Tapestry
We use an online learning journal called Tapestry to track and log your child’s time and development at preschool. Parents are sent an activation email when their child starts at preschool, which gives access to the observations and reports added by staff.
Key worker
Your child will be allocated a keyworker who will nurture their learning and development during their time at the preschool. Each member of staff has a group of children for whom she/he is responsible, and your child’s key worker will be the person who works with you to make sure that what we provide is right for your child’s particular needs and interests to ensure your child has the best outcomes in their early years.
Key workers will help your child to settle and form a trusting relationship, plan activities which support your child’s interests and needs and support their learning and development throughout their time at the setting.
Every term, your child’s Key worker will set “Next Steps” for your child. These will be targets they will work on with your child over the term (new ones will be set once achieved). Details and observations will be logged on Tapestry, so you can keep up to date with your child’s progress.
When your child is ready to start school, we will provide parents and the child’s school with a report; liaising with your child’s foundation teacher helps provide good transition from preschool to school.
Partnership with parents
We follow a schedule of topics throughout the year and each term this is shared with parents via our Topic letter.
The letter provides information about the books, songs and activities we will be focusing on at preschool and offers some suggestions for home learning, which supports our partnership with parents.
Each week we send home Ralphy the travel bear with a different member of Preschool, which gives us an opportunity to discuss home life and adventures with our children.
Every day there is a box of books available outside preschool; children and parents are encouraged to borrow a book from our library to share at home.
Transition to school
We feed to a number of schools within the area not just Queniborough (e.g. Gaddesby, Syston, Thrussington, Rearsby, Ratcliffe and Barkby).
During the summer term all 3 and 4 year olds who are leaving to start school in August/September take part in our Star Bear programme.
Children complete a series of tasks that help develop life skills and independence and we focus on a new skill each week.