The EYFS
Learning Through Play
The educational programs at Tall Trees Day Nursery were created with our children’s needs in mind: to mature and develop in a safe yet stimulating environment. We embrace all seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, ensuring all children have a well-resourced and stimulating learning environment. Take a look below to learn more about each program.
The Key Person Role
Each child has a designated key person who will observe your child's learning development and progress. The key person approach gives every child the reassurance to feel safe and secure. They key person will meet the needs of each child in their care, whilst responding sensitively to their feelings, ideas and behaviours. They offer security, reassurance and familiarity, and are usually the one to sooth their key children where needed. We acknowledge that every child is unique, therefore we believe that relationships created between adults and children are crucial for your child's learning and development. Shared experiences at home have an important impact on children's social, emotional and intellectual development. We promote an open door policy and parents are welcome at any time in the nursery.
Monitoring Progress
All Early Years Providers are required to comply with all standards set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework. One of the many requirements staff have to meet is the use of ongoing observations to monitor how children learn and develop. Using this information, they plan challenging activities based around the children's interests, in an enjoyable experience in all areas of their learning and development.
Our method to help us with planning and tracking individual children's progress is the use of individual progress trackers, observations and summative assessments. The progress tracker and summative assessments are divided into prime and specific areas of learning and development, from birth to five years.
Prime Areas
Personal, Social & Emotional Development (PSED)
Involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
Physical Development (PD)
Involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination control and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Communication and Language (CL)
Involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
Specific Areas
Literacy Development (L)
Involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
Mathematics (M)
Involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces and measures.
Understanding the World (UW)
Involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)
Involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play and design and techonolgy.