Intent

Our Early Years Curriculum in Nursery and Reception builds on prior learning and interests, providing all children with an immersive, rich stimulating safe environment in which to flourish, problem solve, collaborate and grow. Integral to this is our love of outdoors and being healthy, enriching the curriculum and promoting discovery and resilience. Through all learning opportunities we ignite curiosity and joy in learning building strong values and foundations for moving on through school.

Through themed learning opportunities from our broad curriculum, children engage in experiences across the setting that facilitate their development, building on individual starting points, prior knowledge and  understanding.

Children engage in taught daily phonics sessions, supported by individual reading and class story time. Our communication friendly environment both indoors and outdoors promotes rich language and we deepen vocabulary through interactive experience, always starting with the child. We believe communication is key, using wide-ranging resources, quality texts and adult interaction to promote discussion, stimulate talk and a lifelong love of reading. We are proud of our assessment and intervention programmes helping children to achieve their potential and flourish.

Key learning opportunities are planned across all areas of our inclusive setting where we encourage children to independently access resources and develop their interests.  We further support learning through the positive relationships we take care to build, in partnership with families. Bi-weekly forest school sessions in our extensive dedicated area enrich outdoor experience giving opportunity for wider skills of risk taking, personal discovery and investigation, supported by highly qualified staff. 

Our committed Early Years Team have high expectations, ensuring all achieve their full potential  with appropriate challenge.  There is ample opportunity for children to sustain their engagement, collaborate and extend within a supportive teaching environment both indoors and outdoors.

Our nurturing approach supports the whole child, whether in Nursery of Reception right from the beginning giving all the opportunity to flourish within the Monksmoor Park School Community resulting in outcomes at the end of Reception above local and national levels.

Through careful planning we ensure our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) meets the requirements of the new statutory framework.

More information can be found in the documents below.