Learning Journal

The nursery keeps a learning journal for each child. We digitally record observations and achievements using SeeSaw; information about this can be viewed at this link.

Staff and parents working together on the children’s learning journal is one of the ways in which the key person and parents work in partnership. Your child’s learning journal helps us to celebrate their achievements together and to work together to provide what your child needs for their well-being and to make progress.

Learning Through Play

Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking. Our nursery provides a range of play activities which help children to make progress in each area of learning and development. Children decide how they access activities and this free choice is fully encouraged. In other activities, an adult takes the lead in helping the children to take part, teaching listening skills, turn taking and new language.

How We Provide for Development and Learning

Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our nursery helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with stimulating activities and opportunities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.

Festivals and Celebrations

We also include festivals and celebrations where children can dress up, listen to and act out through play different cultures. For example: Chinese New Year, Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Fathers’ Day, Mothers’ Day and Valentines Day. We encourage families to tell us about celebrations and festivals recognised at home and in their community.

The Areas of Development and Learning

These comprise of:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

The Characteristics of Effective Learning

Playing and Exploring (Engagement):

• Finding out and exploring.
• Playing with what they know.
• Being willing to “have a go”.

Active Learning (Motivation):

• Being involved and concentrating.
• Keep on trying.
• Enjoying achieving what they set out to do,

Creating and Thinking Critically (Thinking):

• Having their own ideas.
• Finding ways to do things.
• Choosing ways to do things.

For each area, the statutory framework for Early Years Foundation Sate (EYFS) guidance sets out the Early Years Learning Goals. These goals state what is expected children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.

Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge, and demonstrating their understanding through the 7 areas of learning and development. Children should mostly develop in the three prime areas first. If you would like more information on this please follow this link.

Assessment

We assess how young children are learning and developing by observing them frequently and document their progress and where this may be leading them. We believe that parents know their children best and we ask them to contribute to assessment by sharing information about what their children like to do at home and how parents and carers are supporting development. We collect this information from you when you first start with us, and then termly plus more frequently with “WOW Moments” slips which are sent home for you to complete and return to us. 

We make periodic assessment summaries of children’s achievement based on our ongoing developmental records. These form part of the children’s achievement. We undertake these assessment summaries at regular intervals as well as times of transition.