Intent
Our vision for the curriculum at Tiddlywinks Day Nurseries is to encourage the all-round
development of the child paying attention to their emotional and mental well-being as well as their intellectual learning and development in a safe, secure and stimulating environment through reference to the Early Years Foundation Stage. We have high expectations of all children and we encourage them to develop independence throughout their time with us. Our aim is for children to experience a curriculum that empowers them for their journey, not only through school, but through life.
Implementation
Planning for children’s needs at Tiddlywinks Day Nurseries all children are supported in developing at their own pace and encouraged to reach their full potential. Our key carer system enables a planned curriculum tailored to the needs of each individual child. By means of developmentally appropriate play activities and a high level of staff support, we offer a play-based curriculum that uses the Early Years Foundation Stage as the guiding principles. The curriculum we create is responsive to individual children and families, and so changes and grows regularly as we meet new children. We believe passionately that children learn best through high quality play where they can lead their own learning. Play helps children make sense of the world, we give them time and space to explore these theories alone, alongside their friends and with the support of key carers around them.
The Role of the Key Carer as the co-constructors of learning
Supporting the children’s well-being and involvement is the foundation we create which then allows the children to interact with us (and us with them) with confidence. The role of the key carer is instrumental in building these strong bonds with their children which will allow them to become independent learners. Once our children have developed these secure relationships their key carer will use a variety of teaching techniques such as encouraging, modelling language, providing resources, demonstrating a skill, exploring ideas, making links to prior learning etc. Our key carers encourage children to lead their own learning and whilst also supporting children by having planned next steps for each child’s learning. However these developmental targets and next steps are implemented sensitively by engrossing ourselves in play and planned activities and experiences with children which allows them to develop these skills and next steps in learning overtime and in a way that is appropriate to their learning needs.
The Environment
At Tiddlywinks Day Nurseries our ethos is in line with Reggio Emilia approach which sees the environment as the third teacher. Our aim is to develop age appropriate spaces for providing numerous opportunities for children to explore, experiment, develop their ideas, and test their theories. The role of the key carers is to ensure that the classroom environment is richly resourced, with materials creatively arranged, and designed to provoke and inspire research and inquiry. We provide continuous provision areas which are well thought out to readily engage the children’s attention. The key carers take time to consider what enhancements they may offer the child, which will support and challenge them in the development of their ideas/theories .
Impact
At Tiddlywinks Day Nurseries we understand that the true impact of high quality, outstanding early years education is far reaching and will have huge benefits for children across their lifetime. A crucial indicator for children’s later academic outcomes is the quality of their language and communication skills. As such, at Tiddlywinks our staff are committed to delivering a curriculum that is language rich and will support children to develop an extensive vocabulary. The impact of our pedagogy has been to strengthen children’s educational success by widening their network of social relationships and expanding their cultural horizons. Throughout their time at Tiddlywinks, children build their social capital through the friendships they make with people from all different backgrounds and their involvement in the local community. Children are offered a varied approach to learning which includes a rich language and literacy approach, as well as through trips to art galleries, parks, libraries and engaging with other cultural venues and experiences to expand all children’s cultural capital, no matter what their background or home experiences is.
Links with Home
Tiddlywinks Day Nurseries recognise the vital role that high-quality Home Learning plays in your child’s lifelong learning and there is a good reason for this – research shows that what parents do with their children matters, whether this be reading a bed time story, baking together, or going for a local walk in nature. We believe parents play a key role in children’s development and it is essential for us to have a strong partnership with parents to ensure each child reaches their full potential. We encourage parents to make contributions and share information about their child’s learning and development. We also regularly share information on children’s progress and next steps in learning. We often invite parents in for workshops or stay and play sessions to ensure our parents feel valued and they can develop good relationships with staff members.