Learning and Development
Learning and Development and the Early Years Foundation Stage
Please read alongside, ‘Sandcastle’s Approach to Teaching’ found under the parent section of this website.
As an early years provider we guide the development of children’s capabilities to ensure that children in our care progress within the Early Year’s Foundation Stage (EYFS) ready to benefit fully from the opportunities ahead of them.
The EYFS – Prime Areas
Communication and language incorporates listening and attention; understanding and speaking.
Physical Development incorporates, moving and handling; health and self-care,
Personal, social and emotional development incorporates, self-confidence and self-awareness; managing feelings and behaviour and making relationships.
The Specific Areas
Literacy incorporates, reading and writing
Mathematics incorporates, numbers; shape, space and measure;
Understanding the World incorporates, people and communities; the world and technology
Expressive arts and design incorporates, exploring and using media and materials and being imaginative.
The prime areas are focused on by practitioners working with our youngest children as these form the foundation for successful learning in the other four specific areas. As children gain in confidence in the prime areas, the balance is shifted to focus more on all areas of learning. If a child’s progress in any prime area gives cause for concern, the keyperson/buddy will discuss this with the child’s parent/carer and agree how to support the child. Our SENCOs support throughout the setting helping to identify/support any special education need or disability and helps families access relevant services.
For English as an additional language, please see our inclusion policy.
Dolphins (Pre-School)
Our pre-school children have daily access to three inter-joining rooms and a large garden area. Within the realms of the routine, the children are totally free to access all these areas as they wish. Every area and every resource has been set up and chosen for its specific learning opportunities and for maximum enjoyment for the children. In short, we have, what is referred to as ‘an enabling environment’.
Resources enable open ended play that involve children in making choices, problem solving, working collaboratively, challenging their thinking but above all having so much fun!
So we have a wonderful learning environment for the children but in addition, we have fantastically devoted, trained and experienced, highly enthusiastic practitioners who bring together their knowledge of how children learn, the curriculum and your children. The bringing together of all these components really does facilitate the very best possible start for our young learners.
Through our interactions and observations of the children at play, we do at times modify the environment / resources to better meet their changing needs and interests.
Our planning is ‘in the moment’. Children are free to choose where they want to play and with what. By engaging in an activity they’ve chosen, they’re more likely to become fully absorbed ensuring our interactions and interventions are purposeful, linked to their area of interest at that moment and thereby lead to rich learning experiences. Just like adults, children learn best when they are interested. Children are very interested in play – especially play they have instigated.
All staff within our pre-school environment are involved in gaining observations of the children which are uploaded by the children’s keyperson to their individual learning journeys on-line. These observations, often accompanied by a photo or short video clip are shared with their parents/carers. Parents/carers also use this on-line platform to share key moments and photos with us. The child’s keyperson along with our curriculum leaders use the observations along with everything they know about the child to ensure they are making good progress on their individual learning journey by ensuring our provision, interactions and when necessary interventions are purposeful and in-line with the child’s next steps.
Seahorses (toddlers)
Our Seahorse children enjoy access to our enabling environments in the same way as our pre-school children although they have their own indoor and outside spaces specifically planned to meet their age and stage of development. These spaces allow daily free access to all areas and our committed, dynamic, trained and experienced team use their acquired skills and knowledge of the children to ensure the very best outcomes for all children in their care.
Progress Check at Age Two
Children between the age of 2 and 3 have a formal review of their progress. This involves a meeting between the keyperson and parent/carer. A report is completed which helps to identify the child’s strengths, any areas where the child’s progress is less than expected in the prime areas, if there are any significant emerging concerns, or an identified special educational need or disability. A targeted plan is developed and agreed with parent/carers to support the child’s next steps including agreed activities/strategies for nursery and home activities taking into account their child’s interests. Beyond the prime areas practitioners note any observations and share this information with parent/carers during the meeting. The quantity of these observations vary according to the child’s age/stage of development and amount of sessions attended. The parent / carers are provided with a copy of the report and are encouraged to share it with their health visitor and any other outside agencies working with the family including any new provision the child may transfer to.
All children within our 2 – 3 year old room regardless of whether they attend more than one setting have the progress check detailed above and their parent/carers are invited in for a meeting.
The 2 year old progress check is discussed with the parent/carer during their room induction and a time for this summary is agreed allowing the keyperson to gain sufficient observations and to support integrated working. Consent is gained from parent/carers via our terms and conditions allowing us to share information as appropriate.
Starfish (babies)
Our babies also have their own indoor and outdoor spaces specifically built for their needs. Much of the resources are low level allowing for free access and exploration however our superb, devoted staffing team bring together their knowledge of how babies learn, the Birth to 5 Matters Framework and their individual key children’s interests and needs to plan for stimulating activities, outings and opportunities to be delivered daily. Examples are too numerous to detail in full but include, singing and story time, creative and messy play activities, tough spot activities, heuristic play, cooking, walks to the local community including visits to the library. (Our staff are happy to explain these activities in more detail).
In addition to all that has been mentioned, all children at Sandcastles make full use of our indoor gym and our large grass garden where so many learning opportunities present themselves. All children at Sandcastles are assigned a keyperson and buddy and an established software system is used for the storing, reviewing, reflecting and sharing of children’s progress. We forge strong links with parents/carers and our knowledge of the children is further enhanced through the information they share with us through their child’s portal. Stay and Plays are facilitated each term allowing parents/carers to come and join in. This allows parents/carers to see what we offer, how their children are within our environment and provides another opportunity to build partnerships and share information.
Sandcastles provides continuous training and support in-house and externally to ensure a qualified, skilled staffing team which is essential in achieving the best possible outcomes for children.
Whilst writing, I will add that it is an absolute pleasure and privilege to see such industrious, happy children making both small steps and, at other times, huge leaps in their journey through Sandcastles and life!
We are very proud of the systems we have in place and believe the children at Sandcastles and their families really do benefit from all that we offer.