Curriculum

At our preschool, we welcome children aged 18 months to 4 years and follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. Our curriculum is designed to support each child’s learning and development through play, exploration, and meaningful experiences.

We use Development Matters alongside regular observations to track each child’s progress and plan for their next steps. Our planning is based on the children’s interests, what they enjoy, and what we want them to learn next, ensuring every activity is engaging and purposeful.

We embed the three I’s — Intent, Implementation, and Impact — in everything we do, helping us to provide high-quality learning experiences that meet each child’s individual needs.

Our aim is to create a nurturing, stimulating environment where children can grow in confidence, curiosity, and independence, laying the foundations for lifelong learning.

Areas of Learning

The different areas of learning that we follow in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage are as follows…

• Communication and Language (all ages)
• Physical Development (all ages)
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development (all ages)
• Literacy (from 3 years old)
• Mathematics (from 3 years old)
• Understanding the World (from 3 years old)
• Expressive Arts and Design (from 3 years old)

All observations and reports are based on the areas of learning and we use tracking to show where each child is in their own stage of development in each area of learning.

Planning

Our planning approach is flexible, inclusive, and focused on each individual child. We ensure continuous provision throughout all our rooms, creating environments that encourage independence, exploration, and learning at every stage.

We use in-the-moment planning, responding to children’s interests and experiences as they happen. This allows us to support and extend their learning in meaningful, engaging ways. Our planning also focuses on each child’s next steps, helping to build on what they already know and love while introducing new opportunities to grow and develop.

Every aspect of our provision is adapted to meet the needs of all children, ensuring our practice is inclusive and supportive for every learner.

Tapestry

We use Tapestry, alongside our own observations, to record and celebrate each child’s learning journey. Tapestry is an online learning journal that allows us to securely share photos, videos, and notes about your child’s experiences and achievements at preschool.

This platform offers parents a lovely way to see what their child has been exploring throughout the day and to stay connected with their progress. It also gives families the opportunity to share special moments from home, helping us build a complete picture of each child’s development.

While Tapestry is not a mandatory service, we find it an invaluable tool for strengthening communication with parents, tracking children’s progress, and maintaining meaningful connections — even during holidays, when we may set small, fun tasks to keep in touch with what the children are doing at home.