Teaching & Learning

This policy outlines the principles of good practice implemented across our preschool, drawing upon the four guiding principles from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework:

Every child is a unique child.
Children learn through positive relationships.
Children develop well in enabling environments.
Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.

These principles apply to the education and care of all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring a consistent and comprehensive approach that fosters the development of confident and competent independent learners.

Our teaching and learning practices align with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974907/EYFS_framework_-_March_2021.pdf

This framework refers to the following legislation:

The learning and development requirements are legally enforced under an Order made under section 39(1)(a) of the Childcare Act 2006.
The safeguarding and welfare requirements are legally enforced by Regulations made under section 39(1)(b) of the Childcare Act 2006.

The EYFS aims to provide:

Quality and consistency in all early years settings, ensuring every child makes good progress and receives appropriate support.
A secure foundation through planning for individual learning and development, regular assessment, and review.
Partnership working between practitioners, parents, and/or carers.
Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, promoting inclusion and support for every child.

The EYFS specifies requirements for learning and development, as well as for safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. The learning and development requirements encompass:

Areas of learning and development that shape activities and experiences for children in all early years settings (curriculum).
Early learning goals that providers must help children work towards (knowledge, skills, and understanding expected by the end of the academic year in which they turn five).
Assessment arrangements for measuring progress and reporting to parents and/or carers.

Our primary aims for all children are:

To provide a broad and balanced curriculum that lays the foundation for future learning.
To plan a relevant and enjoyable curriculum based on real experiences.
To provide first-hand experiences that contextualise learning.
To offer a safe and secure learning environment.
To develop confidence, independence, and self-esteem.
To encourage and motivate children to become independent learners.
To support children in their initial steps of the learning journey.
To provide a range of learning opportunities, including solitary play, independent group play, adult-supported play, adult-directed learning, and discrete teaching.
To develop social skills and foster positive relationships.
To reflect the diversity of social and cultural backgrounds within the classroom.
To provide a free-flow curriculum where learning takes place both indoors and outdoors.
To incorporate children's interests and use them to plan relevant activities.
To provide children with a secure foundation in preparation for school.

The curriculum is divided into seven areas of learning:

Communication and language
Physical development
Personal, social, and emotional development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding of the world
Expressive arts and design

Across all learning areas, we:

Consider the individual needs, interests, and development of each child to plan challenging and enjoyable experiences.
Employ the "intent, implementation, and impact" approach to teaching and interactions, supporting children's learning.
Establish a strong foundation in the three prime areas for children aged 0-3.
Provide a broad curriculum within the specific areas, enabling children to strengthen and apply their learning from the prime areas, especially language development and vocabulary expansion.
Communicate and collaborate with parents and/or carers when a child's progress in any prime area raises concerns, developing appropriate support strategies.
Take reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children whose home language is not English to develop and use their home language in play and learning, supporting their language development.
Actively engage with children and their learning through observation, participation, and thoughtful questioning.
Utilise children's interests to plan and extend their skills and knowledge.
Support children's reasoning abilities, challenging them to reconsider and expand their understanding of the world through open-ended questions, language modelling, and play modelling.
Foster warm relationships and high-quality interactions with children to enhance and extend their learning.
Implement a Key Person system while ensuring that all adults serve as anchors for children, prioritising interactions as role models, play partners, listeners, and planners.
Encourage children's independent thinking by facilitating their own problem-solving and decision-making processes.
Promote resilience by encouraging perseverance and providing a secure environment for facing challenges.

The EYFS framework provides the foundation upon which our staff build to determine the intended learning and development outcomes for children. Teaching in the early years is not limited to formal instruction but encompasses a wide range of interactions, including planned and child-initiated play, communication, modelling, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, questioning, recalling, narrating, facilitating, and setting challenges. It also considers the environment, equipment, structure, routines, assessment, and the characteristics of effective learning.

Planning

Learning through play is a core approach in our preschool, ensuring that education is enjoyable, engaging, and tailored to each child's starting point. As an EYFS team, we serve as effective role models, providing high-quality interactions to deepen children's learning opportunities. We deliver the curriculum through a balanced combination of adult-led and child-initiated activities, guided by the EYFS Framework 2021 and responsive to children's interests.

Our planning is divided into:

Long-term plans: These illustrate curriculum coverage across all areas of learning throughout the academic year, incorporating the characteristics of effective learning and core principles and values.

Medium-term plans: These cover a term or half-term period, focusing on the skills, concepts, and knowledge to be taught, emphasising intent and implementation.

Short-term plans: These detail daily/weekly objectives specific to each child's skills and interests, demonstrating the impact of staff deployment and the delivery of teaching strategies. They may also highlight the needs of specific groups or individuals.

Assessment

Assessment should not disrupt meaningful interactions with children or burden practitioners with excessive paperwork. When assessing a child's development level, practitioners draw on their knowledge and professional judgment, considering their expertise and the child's individual characteristics, without solely relying on physical evidence. Regular communication with parents and/or carers ensures they are informed about their child's progress and development. Practitioners work in partnership with parents and/or carers and relevant professionals to address learning and development needs.

Progress check at age two

Between the ages of two and three, practitioners review each child's progress and provide parents and/or carers with a concise written summary of their child's development in the prime areas. This progress check highlights strengths and identifies any areas where progress is below expectations.

In addition to the statutory requirements of the two-year check, we conduct baseline assessments at the beginning of each term and two further progress checks throughout the year (September, January, and July). These assessments are shared with parents and/or carers.

CREATED: AUGUST 2023 NEXT REVIEW: AUGUST 2024