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At our nursery, children get the best of both worlds. They learn following both the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is the curriculum children follow from birth until the end of their Reception year at school, and from the unique benefits of a Montessori approach to education. This is what sets our nursery apart from others and is what will set your child up for academic and lifelong success.
Montessori education promotes self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play. This gives children independence, strong academics, and self-motivation with a genuine love of learning. Whilst independence is encouraged, children are made aware that teachers are always available to help whenever necessary.
The teacher does not intervene unnecessarily and leaves the child to explore the materials themselves. However, they are observing all the time, and are ready to step into help as soon as the need arises. This approach is designed to develop children’s independence and self-esteem.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standard for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. All schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers must follow the EYFS, which includes seven areas of learning and development. These areas are broken down into three prime areas and four specific areas.
The 7 areas of learning and development are further divided into age bands. Staff will refer to these areas of learning and the characteristics of effective learning when planning and preparing activities and when assessing and observing your child. Your child’s progress in each area is recorded and areas for development identified as ‘next steps’.
We share information with you about your child’s progress at nursery in a number of ways, including through our Parent App, Blossom, at handover times, and at Parents’ Evenings and other events. Visit our Parent Partnership page for more information.
Involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
• Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness
• Managing Feelings and Behaviour
• Making Relationships
• Communication and Language
Involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
• Listening and attention
• Understanding
• Speaking
• Physical Development
Involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
• Moving and Handling
• Health and Self-Care
Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
• Reading
• Writing
• Mathematics
Involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces and measures.
• Numbers
• Shape, Space and Measures
• Understanding the World
Involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
• People and Communities
• The World
• Technology
• Expressive Arts and Design
Involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
• Exploring and Using Media and Materials
• Being Imaginitive
• Playing and exploring: children investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’;
• Active learning: children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements;
• Creating and thinking critically: children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
Together with the Prime and Specific areas, these comprise the knowledge, skills and experiences that are developmentally appropriate for children from birth to 5 years. Underpinning all areas are the EYFS Principles.
A Montessori prepared environment offers freedom of choice, which develops confidence, independence, and self-esteem in children. Freedom of choice also allows children to work well individually or in a group situation, supporting the development of strong social skills. This doesn’t mean that children do not have purpose in their play and learning, but it allows them to develop at their own pace.
Outdoor and indoor activities help develop physical and social skills as the children engage themselves in simple and complex play situations. Children are expected to show kindness to their peers and are supported to develop skills such as turn taking and sharing with other children. To promote positive behaviour, children are encouraged to take part in developing the rules at nursery. This is because we know being involved in creating rules helps children to follow them.
Thoughtfully developed language and maths materials allow our children to learn with step-by-step, graduated processes. Materials for geography and science are again developed for gradual learning. Other materials, along with projects for chosen subjects, such as nature puzzles, world maps, globes, flags, etc. develop children’s knowledge of the world.
We use special Montessori equipment in our classrooms, which are designed specifically to provide concrete representations of abstract concepts. For example, mathematical concepts are established using number rods, golden beads and spindle boxes.
All Montessori materials are designed to be interesting, fun and self-correcting, so children can immediately see if they make a mistake. Please scroll through our gallery to look at some photos of the Montessori materials we use at our nurseries.
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