Teaching & Learning

This policy outlines the principles for good practice across the preschool. It uses the four guiding principles from the EYFS framework of

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.

The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities. These principles will ensure a continuity of practice through the preschool that will enable all children to become competent and confident independent learners

Our teaching and learning is guided under the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974907/EYFS_framework_-_March_2021.pdf

This framework refer to the following legislation?

• The learning and development requirements are given legal force by an Order made under section 39(1)(a) of the Childcare Act 2006.

• The safeguarding and welfare requirements are given legal force by Regulations made under section 39(1)(b) of the Childcare Act 2006.

The EYFS seeks to provide:

Quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind
A secure foundation through planning for the learning and development of each individual child, and assessing and reviewing what they have learned regularly
Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers
Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported

The EYFS specifies requirements for learning and development and for safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.

The learning and development requirements cover:

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

Our main aims for all children are:

To provide a broad and balanced curriculum for every child to develop the building blocks for future learning
To plan a curriculum that is relevant, fun and based on real experience
To provide first hand experiences to put their learning into context
To provide 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 on the first steps of their learning journey
To provide a range of learning opportunities such as solitary play, independent group play, adult supported play, adult directed learning and discrete teaching
To develop social skills and relationships
To reflect the diversity of social and cultural backgrounds in the class
To provide a free flow curriculum where learning happens inside and outside
Take children interests and use them to plan relevant activities
To provide children with a secure grounding in preparation for school.

The curriculum is divided into seven areas of learning.

Three prime areas

Communication and language
Physical development
Personal, social and emotional development

Four specific areas:

Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding of the world
Expressive arts and design

Within all learning areas we:

Consider the individual needs, interests, and development of each child in our care, and use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child.
Always consider the intent, implementation and impact of our teaching and interactions with the children to support their learning.
Ensure a strong foundation for children’s development in the three prime areas for 0 - 3 years.
Provide children with a broad curriculum within the specific areas and with opportunities to strengthen and apply the prime areas of learning. This is particularly important in developing language and extending vocabulary.
If a child’s progress in any prime area gives cause for concern, practitioners must discuss this with the child’s parents and/or carers and agree how to support the child.
For children whose home language is not English, providers must take reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning, supporting their language development at home.
At all times staff will be actively engaged with children and their learning either by careful observation of children; listening and watching play or by sensitively joining in children’s play in order to develop it.
Practitioners will use children’s interests to move children on by building on and extending children’s skills and knowledge
Practitioners will work to support children’s reasoning while challenging them to re-examine and extend their understanding of the world. They will do this by using open ended questions, modelling and developing language for communication and for thinking, or modelling play itself
Practitioners will develop warm relationships and initiate high quality interactions with the children to support and extend their learning.
Each child has a Key Person system but all adults act as an anchor for children and will prioritise time for interactions with children as role-models, play partners, listeners and planners.
In our interactions, adults aim not to think for children, but instead, using sensitive questions and comments, and modelling thinking out loud, help children to think for themselves.
Practitioners will help children to develop resilience by encouraging them to persevere and by providing an environment in which children feel secure in facing challenge

The EYFS provides the curriculum framework that leaders build on to decide what they intend children to learn and develop.

“Teaching should not be taken to imply a ‘top down’ or formal way of working. It is a broad term that covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities, communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. It takes account of the equipment that adults provide and the attention given to the physical environment, as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations. Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children know, understand and can do, as well as taking account of their interests and dispositions to learn (characteristics of effective learning), and how practitioners use this information to plan children’s next steps in learning and to monitor their progress.” (OFSTED 2021)

Planning

Children will have an abundance of opportunities to learn through play. We will ensure that learning will be fun, engaging and we will challenge and support all children wherever their starting point. As an EYFS team and effective role models, we will provide high quality interactions in order to develop and deepen the children’s learning opportunities. We will deliver our curriculum through a balance of adult led and child-initiated activities based on the EYFS Framework 2021 & based on children’s interests.

Long term planning: These plans show curriculum coverage over all areas of learning during the year from September to July. We incorporate characteristics of effective learning and the core principles and values we wish to embed within the curriculum for the children
Medium term plans- These cover a term or half term period and cover the skills, concepts and knowledge to be taught, focusing on intent and implementation.
Short term plans- These show on a daily/weekly basis how skills have been broken down to a specific learning objective specific to each child and their skills and interests. Impact will be assessed and will show how staff deployment and how a balance of teaching strategies is being delivered. The needs of specific groups or individuals may be highlighted on these plans.

Assessment

Assessment should not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children, nor require excessive paperwork. When assessing whether an individual child is at the expected level of development, practitioners should draw on their knowledge of the child and their own expert professional judgement and should not be required to prove this through collection of physical evidence.
Parents and/or carers should be kept up-to-date with their child’s progress and development. Practitioners should address any learning and development needs in partnership with parents and/or carers, and any relevant professionals.
Progress check at age two 2.
- When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners must review their progress, and provide parents and/or carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the prime areas. This progress check must identify the child’s strengths, and any areas where the child’s progress is less than expected.
In addition to the statutory requirements of the 2 year check, we begin each term with a baseline assessment, and 2 further progress checks throughout the year. (Sept/Jan/July) These are to be shared with the parents.

CREATED: AUGUST 2019 REVIEWED: AUGUST 2022 NEXT REVIEW: AUGUST 2023