Learning and Development
Our passionate and enthusiastic Preschool team, work hard to provide excellent care, a breadth of new and exciting learning opportunities/experiences all within a safe and secure environment.
Learning through play forms the basis of our ethos and our team then enhance and compliment this through the implementation of balanced, adult led activities based upon children’s interests and learning and development needs.
Childcare Provision Options
Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is how Government and early years professionals describe the time in your child's life between birth and age 5. This is a very important stage as it helps your child get ready for school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes.
Allotment Adventure
Children and staff enjoy weekly visits to our Allotment Adventure site, which is situated a short distance walk from Preschool. This additional outdoor space provides a breadth of learning opportunities from growing seeds and plants to exploring wildlife, whilst enjoying activities such as the mud kitchen, the mud mound slide and much more.
Our Curriculum
As an Ofsted registered setting we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The aim of this framework is to ensure that all Early Years providers meet the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five.
Our team has an excellent awareness and understanding of this document and its ethos is at the heart of all that we do.
In line with the foundations of the EYFS we observe, monitor and support our children to establish and progress through the severn areas of Learning and development. The severn areas are broken down into three prime areas and four specific areas. We recognise that all areas are interconnected and reflect each other.
The prime areas of learning (crucial for igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive) are:
- Communication and Language - Listening, Attention and Understanding / Speaking
- Physical Development - Gross Motor Skills / Fine Motor Skills
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development - Self Regulation / Managing self / Building Relationships
The specific areas of learning (through which the Prime areas are strengthened and applied) are:
- Literacy - Comprehension / Word Reading / Writing
- Mathematics - Number / Numerical Patterns
- Understanding the World - Past and Present / People, Culture and Communities / The Natural world
- Expressive Arts and Design - Creating With Materials / Being imaginative and Expressive
The Characteristics of Effective Learning
As well as the seven areas of learning and development we also follow The Characteristics of Effective Learning (COEL). These highlight the importance of children’s attitudes and learning, their ability to play and explore and to think critically about the world around them.
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 their ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
The areas of Learning and Development and the Characteristics of Effective Learning are intertwined. The way in which children engage with other people and their environment forms the basis of playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically. These key skills lay the foundations for a child to progress through their learning and development across all areas. Through our well thought out areas of continuous provision and positive adult interactions our team support and encourage each child to become a confident and motivated learner.
Our Environment
Based within the beautiful Crowle Village Hall we benefit from ample space which we use to create a variety of continuous provision areas within our learning environment. Children are able to move freely between all of the areas and our staff are on hand to engage and respond to the play, investigations and learning that they see unfolding.
Through these interactions our staff model positive communications and behaviour and strengthen the relationships that are essential to ensuring our children feel safe, secure and valued. These wonderful interactions also enable staff to observe and celebrate children’s achievements. Staff will also be able to identify emerging skills and plan activities that will help these to develop and flourish.
Our areas of continuous provision have been designed and organised to incorporate and promote learning within all of the areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Each day our children can take the time to explore and enjoy the following areas:
- Home corner
- Role Play
- Construction (to include loose parts and natural resources)
- Small world
- Quiet den
- Mark making
- Sensory
- Climbing equipment
Our rural location means that our setting also benefits from an abundance of secure, outdoor space which the children can access regularly throughout the day. Wind, rain or shine our staff will open up the doors, allowing children to freely explore both our indoor and outdoor provision.
Here at Crowle we like to make the most of our surroundings and incorporate regular village walks into our planning. The staff and children love to explore our local area and our outings create endless learning opportunities. It also enables the children to gain a greater understanding of the community in which they live and the wider world that surrounds them. We are also incredibly lucky to be able to access an allotment plot, located just a short distance walk across the playing field to the rear of Preschool.
Progress Updates
Our team will work incredibly closely with your child at all times and will use their knowledge of the EYFS outcomes, The Characteristics of Effective Learning and the outcomes within Development Matters (the non-statutory curriculum guidance for the Early Years) to make a professional judgement as to how your child is progressing. Sharing this information with you is of paramount importance and therefore your child’s key person will provide regular updates of how your child is progressing through daily chats at the door and Tapestry observations. Each half term you will also have the opportunity to join your child’s key person for a ‘parent consultation’ during which a more in-depth review of their development will be shared.
If our team identify gaps in your child’s progress, please do not worry. Your child’s key person and the remainder of the team will be with you and your child every step of the way and you will be fully involved in the support your child will receive.
- Starting points - Before your child embarks on their journey with us we ask that take a few moments to complete a New Starter pack. It is quick and easy to complete and the information provided will help us to get to know your child and give the team an understanding of your child’s current achievements and interests.
- Settle Sessions - The early days of your child’s journey are incredibly important and to ease the transition from home into their new environment we offer up to 5 hours free within the setting, prior to your child’s official start date.. We also value our partnership with parent/carers and these settle sessions provide the perfect platform for establishing these links
- The first few weeks - Our team will work closely with your child to help them settle into their new environment. Using the information that you have provided, conversations in the lead up to your child starting and the observations carried out by our team we will be able to gain a robust understanding of their interests, curiosity and developmental next steps. This will lay the foundations for your child’s Learning Journey with Crowle Preschool.
- Key person - During the first weeks we will observe your child’s interactions and the relationships that they form with our team. We will use this to determine the team member whom we will assign to you child to ensure that their learning and development needs are monitored, planned for and tracked in line with the EYFS Framework *Whilst your child will have a named key person, as we are a very a close time all staff will be involved in your child’s care and learning journey.
- Tapestry - At the beginning of your child’s journey with us we will create an online Tapestry profile for them. Each week we will share photos and captions of what your child has been up to over the course of their sessions. This is an interactive profile and we encourage parent/carers to upload and share things from home too.
- Progress updates - Our team will work incredibly closely with your child at all times and will use their knowledge of the EYFS outcomes, The Characteristics of Effective Learning and the outcomes within Development Matters (the non-statutory curriculum guidance for the Early Years) to make a professional judgement as to how your child is progressing. Sharing this information with you is of paramount importance and therefore your child’s key person will provide regular updates of how your child is progressing through daily chats at the door and Tapestry observations. Each half term you will also have the opportunity to join your child’s key person for a ‘parent consultation’ during which a more in-depth review of their development will be shared. If our team identify gaps in your child’s progress, please do not worry. Your child’s key person and the remainder of the team will be with you and your child every step of the way and you will be fully involved in the support your child will receive.