OUR PLANNING SYSTEM
Our nursery has dedicated time and effort to train all our team members in dedicating their knowledge and ability to support the children’s development by following their interests and providing an expansive, balanced and inspiring curriculum.
We’ve developed a positive balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities, always delivering our vision of ‘learning through play’.
At various times throughout the day, practitioners can have dedicated quiet time with the children in small groups to discuss their interests and assess the children’s learning needs. By using discussions with parents and the children, about their time outside nursery, more ideas and experiences are collected.
During these special sessions the practitioners gather children’s ideas and interests for future planning.
Some interests can last for a few days, while others may last several weeks. Each practitioner is responsible for assessing their plans and extending the children’s learning in various ways.
In Preschool room, our children participate in planning meetings and discussions with the practitioners and talk about what they’d like to learn over the next week(s).
Having these discussions with the younger age groups doesn’t always work, so we’re currently working on a more effective way to involve them in this process.
By using the special labelling system such as Young Athletes, Young Chefs, Messy Baby, Chatter Box, etc, we ensure that each planning covers all the areas of learning and development appropriate for each room.
Each planning is communicated to the parents through our designated online nursery/parent portal every time it is updated.
Using the online portal, parents also receive home learning suggestions linked to the planning’s topic of the week(s).
OUR PLANNING RATIONALE
Our planning system has been developed based on several best practice approaches.
Firstly, following the children's interests is thought to lead to deeper levels of thinking, learning and involvement. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that for children especially, if they are actively seeking interest in something, they are more likely to learn effectively and to feel a greater sense of autonomy.
Secondly, one of the four overarching, guiding principles of the EYFS is that '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'.
Thirdly, we have used Maslow’s philosophy about each child being unique. Thinking about how practitioners observe each individual child to see how they play, find out their interests and to be able to meet their individual needs. Getting to know the child is very important, how they choose to do things and allowing for child-initiated play. We endeavour to find out and support each individual child’s needs.
Lastly, we have looked at UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), especially at Article 12 (respect for the views of the child) “Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously.” and Article 13 (freedom of expression) “Every child must be free to express their thoughts and opinions.”
OUR PLANNING VISION
Our nursery vision is encompassing all of these principles, highlighting the importance of “providing the best possible high-quality care and education for the children at all times in a loving, happy, secure and stimulating environment”.
Our nursery has dedicated time and effort to train all our team members in dedicating their knowledge and ability to support the children’s development by following their interests and providing an expansive, balanced and inspiring curriculum.
We’ve developed a positive balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities, always delivering our vision of ‘learning through play’.
At various times throughout the day, practitioners can have dedicated quiet time with the children in small groups to discuss their interests and assess the children’s learning needs. By using discussions with parents and the children, about their time outside nursery, more ideas and experiences are collected.
During these special sessions the practitioners gather children’s ideas and interests for future planning.
Some interests can last for a few days, while others may last several weeks. Each practitioner is responsible for assessing their plans and extending the children’s learning in various ways.
In Preschool room, our children participate in planning meetings and discussions with the practitioners and talk about what they’d like to learn over the next week(s).
Having these discussions with the younger age groups doesn’t always work, so we’re currently working on a more effective way to involve them in this process.
By using the special labelling system such as Young Athletes, Young Chefs, Messy Baby, Chatter Box, etc, we ensure that each planning covers all the areas of learning and development appropriate for each room.
Each planning is communicated to the parents through our designated online nursery/parent portal every time it is updated.
Using the online portal, parents also receive home learning suggestions linked to the planning’s topic of the week(s).
OUR PLANNING RATIONALE
Our planning system has been developed based on several best practice approaches.
Firstly, following the children's interests is thought to lead to deeper levels of thinking, learning and involvement. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that for children especially, if they are actively seeking interest in something, they are more likely to learn effectively and to feel a greater sense of autonomy.
Secondly, one of the four overarching, guiding principles of the EYFS is that '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'.
Thirdly, we have used Maslow’s philosophy about each child being unique. Thinking about how practitioners observe each individual child to see how they play, find out their interests and to be able to meet their individual needs. Getting to know the child is very important, how they choose to do things and allowing for child-initiated play. We endeavour to find out and support each individual child’s needs.
Lastly, we have looked at UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), especially at Article 12 (respect for the views of the child) “Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously.” and Article 13 (freedom of expression) “Every child must be free to express their thoughts and opinions.”
OUR PLANNING VISION
Our nursery vision is encompassing all of these principles, highlighting the importance of “providing the best possible high-quality care and education for the children at all times in a loving, happy, secure and stimulating environment”.