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    • Learning at our Nursery

    Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.*

    The practice of New Life Nursery School is governed by the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2021. There are four distinct but complementary principles:

    • Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
    • Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
    • Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and /or carers.
    • Children develop and learn at different rates

    Learning and Development

    There are seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and interconnected. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving. These are the prime areas:

    • Communication and language
    • Physical development
    • Personal, social and emotional development

    Children are also supported in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:

    • Literacy
    • Mathematics
    • Understanding the world
    • Expressive arts and design

    Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning

    In planning and guiding what children learn, we also reflect on the different rates at which children are developing. Three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

    • 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.

    Christian Context

    Underpinning all that we do at New Life Nursery school is our love and faith in Jesus Christ. We aim to promote Christian values such as love, respect, obedience, sharing, perseverance, confidence and honesty. Our Christian staff will seek to promote these values by example and encourage children to adopt them in their own lives and in their relationships with others.

    Our curriculum will include learning about God as (our) Father and Creator and learning about Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit. The children will learn about the meaning and significance of Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter and learn about stories from the Bible. They will be taught simple prayers and Christian songs.

    *Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2021, Department for Education

    How can I help my child?

    Our aim in Nursery is to encourage the children to become as independent as possible. You can help your child by supporting them in learning to:

    • Dress and undress – shoes, socks or tights, jumpers and cardigans.
    • Put on and remove outdoor clothing.
    • Use the toilet independently.
    • Wash and dry hands effectively.
    • Use a cup, fork and spoon at mealtimes.
    • Tidy up after using toys, books and other equipment.

    The following will also help your child prepare for school:

    • Books: Encourage your child to look at books. Make a habit of reading stories regularly to your child and encourage him / her to talk about the stories and the pictures. This is the best possible start to the acquiring of reading skills and the key to developing in your child a love for and an appreciation of books. Help your child to learn to turn the pages of a book without tearing them, and to treat books carefully.
    • Songs: Sing songs and become familiar with nursery rhymes. These will help your child to recognise speech patterns, rhymes and rhythm.
    • Name recognition: Be able to recognise his / her own name when printed in script – but NOT CAPITALS, e.g. James NOT JAMES.
    • Colours:Recognise, name and match colours.
    • Dexterity: Know how to hold a pencil / scissors / paintbrush effectively.
    • Communication and trips out: Talk to your child, listen and answer any questions. Take your child out – go shopping, to the park. Visit friends or make use of other special outings, e.g. to the Zoo, swimming etc. Visits like this will help your child to learn lots of different things about their world.
    • Helping at home: Encourage your child to help in the home, e.g. tidying their toys, setting the table, helping with cooking / baking, gardening.
    • Numbers:Use numbers every day and point them out to your child, e.g. house numbers, bus numbers, price tickets etc. Count forwards and backwards with your child when you climb the stairs.
    • Shapes: Help your child to recognise some simple shapes in the environment, e.g. circles and squares, triangles and rectangles.