Areas of Development
St Augustine's Nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage 2023 framework which promotes a child-centred approach focused around children's individual needs, their environment and the contributions of the adults and professionals involved.
Personal, Social & Emotional
Children build a positive sense of self and attitude toward learning by being valued and encouraged to express their ideas and opinions. At St. Augustine's, children grow in confidence as they socialise with children and adults, and are given small responsibilities in support of their peers to develop their sense of pride. They learn to manage their feelings and respect those of others as they build these relationships. They gain independence in their own self-care by learning the importance of eating well and practising good hygiene to care for their bodies.
Communication & Language
We provide a language-rich environment through quality interactions, songs, stories, role-play and meaningful conversations. We ensure that interactions are positive and that they challenge the children’s thinking, allowing them to become confident communicators. As an ECAT (Every Child a Talker) setting, we have strategies in place to detect and support the communication and language development needs of children early on and offer any extra support they may need.
Physical
Our free-flow system allows the children to have the space to move, explore and play imaginatively. In our garden, they have access to a range of equipment to develop their spacial awareness, strength, coordination and agility. They also explore the natural environment, play games and enjoy lessons with external professionals.
Literacy
Reading and writing opportunities are promoted in continuous provision activities throughout the week. Mark-making skills are practised on a range of media and access to a wide selection of books provides new vocabulary and concepts related to topics taught or the children’s interests. A bank of ‘core books,’ are read frequently so that the children become familiar with the known texts and will be able to retell them, gaining an understanding of the sequence in the stories. Core rhymes and songs also support language development. We teach Phase 1 of Phonics to develop the children’s ability to listen, make and talk about sounds. Together, theses skills are the cornerstone of their future reading skills.
Mathematics
Children have access to a variety of resources and activities to expand on their mathematical reasoning to include quantity, shapes, measures and patterns. They develop their thinking through exploration and adult support as mathematical concepts in the environment or everyday situations are drawn upon. The children gain a deep understanding of numbers, starting with 0-5 and then progressing through to 0-10 through repeated activities that will enable to build strong bases to their knowledge. We encourage children to apply their mathematical skills to real life experiences which builds their confidence.
Understanding the World
In our garden, children explore the natural environment through gardening activities, wildlife observations and hands on activities with natural resources. We explore our local community through exploration walks, learning about peers’ families and customs, and learning about various professions, cultures and hobbies from volunteers. Children also learn about particular topics of interest through hands-on experiments, books and technology, building a strong knowledge of the world around them.
Expressive Arts & Design
St. Augustine’s provides a rich environment promoting self-expression and encouraging children to develop their imagination and creativity. Children have free access to a range of media and materials to explore textures, learn various skills and techniques, and be supported in their creative process. By accessing props and costumes, they engage in various role-play activities to re-enact well-known stories or develop their own narrative. Children are also active in movement sessions where they discover music and dance from different cultures, explore instruments and learn how sounds can be changed to create different rhythms.
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​Our curriculum provides learning opportunities based upon the children’s interests, accessible to them and linking to the world around them, which they know and understand. ​It is adaptable in order to reflect children’s new interests and progression.