Green Roots Curriculum
The Early Years Foundation Stage covers all the critically important areas of learning and development for babies (from birth) up to children aged five. Our holistic approach means we support children in their learning journey to enable them to fulfil their potential. We work in partnership with parents and carers, and we strive to provide equality of opportunity to every child. This period of a child’s life plays a major part in their future life opportunities. We recognise that every child is unique and needs positive relationships and enabling environments to learn and develop at their own rates and in their own way. We promote teaching and learning to ensure children’s school readiness and help set the right foundations before they leave for school.
At Green Roots we firmly believe that every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured. We support children to become strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and a Key Person. Our ethos aims to create a positive and enabling environment in which they can flourish.
We recognise and value the uniqueness of every child and their right to enjoy their childhood, to be kept safe, to have their physical, social, and emotional needs met, to be listened to so that they are nurtured holistically. We put the children at the heart of what we do so that they acquire the knowledge and skills they need to be able to move to the next stage of their education. We strive to work in partnership with parents and families, listening to and valuing all.
There are seven key areas within the early years framework. These include three ‘prime’ areas which, in turn, interconnect and enhance the remaining four, each helping to improve the other. We have a an EYFS based curriculum which is explained, in detail, below.
Communication and language:
Effective communication and language is such an important skill to have therefore it is promoted all the way through from our youngest of children to our eldest. This is a critical skill for all and we acknowledge that without good communication skills, all other areas could suffer. Our team at Green Roots encourage rich communication to children and between staff, introducing new vocabulary daily and language promoting resources in every area of the nursery. Reading and storytelling, songs and rhymes, story sacks, circle times, musical instruments and role play resources are just some of the continuous/standard provision we offer. Our book of the month and word of the week ensures we can teach the children new vocabulary, listen to and unpick specific stories to gain further knowledge and understanding and have the chance to vocalise their thoughts on these during focus sessions or generally in day to day play.
Physical development:
Each room holds age appropriate physical equipment and resources that will meet their needs but promote appropriate risk and challenge. Our spacious gardens offer space to run around, endless gross and fine motor equipment and activities, climbing apparatus, sand and water areas, all of which promote physical understanding, strength, coordination, fitness and wellbeing. We plan our whole setting workshops and preschool trips to meet the physical needs of our children. Many of these are local and entail our children to walk to and from them which also supports the knowledge of the world around them. Every child is different but all children deserve the opportunity to develop their physical development in whatever way works for them.
Personal, social and emotional development:
To meet children’s personal skills, children need to be supported to be independent in self-care tasks such as toileting and washing their hands. They need to understand healthy eating and why it is import for them and others and be able to dress themselves appropriately for the weather. Supporting our children’s knowledge in oral health, first aid and what to do in emergency scenario’s is hugely important not only for themselves as individuals but for others around them. Social and emotional development ensures children feel supported by their peers and are able to support them, they learn to manage emotions appropriately, feel valued, aim to avoid conflicts, form friendships and work as part of a team. Self-confidence and self-worth is huge here and so we want to instil confidence from the youngest possible age, in order to achieve these outcomes.
Cultural capital is the essential knowledge children need to prepare them for their future success. It is about giving children the best possible start to their early education. Ensuring our children have a well-planned and robust curriculum (learning and development), an enabling environment and positive relationships in place, to coincide with the above, means our children will only succeed.
Mathematics
This is where children will practice ‘concepts’. The concept of time, of number, of size, of measurements, of patterns and sequences etc. Concepts will turn into understanding through play, well planned activities and focus times. Maths is found in everything we do, even if we don’t see it, so enabling children to acknowledge maths in nature, around their classrooms, in the garden, at home and amongst the food on their plates will solidify their understanding!
Literacy
Another fundamental area of learning for children so exposure to this from birth will only support this. Around the nursery children will see different forms written text, labelling, fictional and non-fictional books, IT, the rooms’ words of the week and story of the month as standard practice methods. All areas of the setting promote mark making and our preschool focus room offers a range of literacy related activities and resources. Not only is literacy such an important skill required for starting school, it also promotes the socialising with others, problem-solving, making decisions, developing independence, managing money and working.
Understanding the World
Our teams planning covers; seasons, celebrations and festivals, recognises people who help us, words of the week, stories of the month and countries of the month. Our annual; workshop, special events and trips programme includes visits from outside agencies and trips the children will attend out into the local community. Children, families and team will help to structure the special events, trips and workshops for the year, all of which will support their knowledge in understanding the world.
Expressive Arts and Design
We encourage all types of art and design at Green Roots from each room having a well-equipped creative play area, resourced to support celebrations, seasons, to look into colours, mark making and more. We promote daily music sessions with singing, dancing and movement focuses using props and dress up clothes to allow the children to express themselves. We promote recycling and up cycling, junk modelling and the exploration of materials, tools and techniques.
The overall aim of our curriculum at Green Roots, is to give the children the best possible start in life and to ensure children are ‘school ready’ by the time they are five. The team working with the children daily are those who are passionate about making a difference to young people’s lives and dedicated to meeting their well-being, learning and developmental needs across the seven areas of the EYFS.
