Activities, Experience and Learning Policy

The purpose of this policy is to explain the types of activities provided and set out how we support children in their learning and development.

See also our Curriculum Statement at Appendix 1.

OUR ETHOS

We believe that children learn best when they are happy and engaged. Learning is not always obvious and can happen at any time of the day, eg when peeling fruit. Children also learn best when they are at “level 5 engagement” (Ferre Laevers Levels of Wellbeing and Involvement) and this most often happens when they have chosen an activity for themselves. We teach using “Planning In the Moment” (see Appendix 3) to support children in following their own interests and developing their learning in that moment, rather than planning ahead for future days. At our nurseries children will have the opportunity to take part in a broad range of experiences and activities that are primarily fun and engaging and will also help them develop their Cultural Capital and life skills.

HOW CHILDREN LEARN

“We are not to say what is or what is not interesting to a child” Dr Gemma Goldenberg

1. Children learn through play. We offer a range of resources, activities and experiences that enable children to learn and develop new skills. We provide children with time to play and explore their ideas.
2. We build on the foundations of experiences that children have already had, in other settings and at home. We recognise that everything a child does is helping them learn and develop.
3. We recognise our staff, along with all parents, as educators and teachers. Our ethos is to support learning which is of value for life. Our teaching vision is to support children to become confident lifelong learners.

WHAT WE DO AT NURSERY

4. Our pedagogical approach is to use Planning In the Moment. We offer a balance of child initiated and adult initiated activities. Child-initiated activities are activities that a child chooses to do themselves, without direct guidance from an adult, within a thoughtfully prepared environment. Children are free to decide what they play with, how they paly, and when they play, fostering their independence, creativity, curiosity, and confidence as they explore their own ideas and interests. Most of the time at nursery is spent on child-initiated activities.
5. Adult-initiated activities are planned experiences designed to offer new experiences and introduce new skills and knowledge or develop skills and knowledge children already have. The practitioner will set up and be involved in the activity with the children to support them with what they do. While encouraged to join in, children are not forced to do any activities.
6. Resources are available and accessible for children to choose at any time. This choice runs alongside any adult led activities.
7. We help the children to show consideration to others when playing so that, when playing freely with all resources in the room, mixing them up to satisfy their games, they respect the play experiences of other children. We try to help the children learn about the consequences of their actions. We ask, if you spread all the blocks across the floor, does that affect how other children are able to use room?
8. We also encourage children to understand the importance of respecting belongings and taking care of things/resources. We organise ‘tidy up time’ in a way that children can be involved and understand the purpose. Where possible we encourage the children to help fix or upcycle items that have become broken or damaged such as taping pages back into a book. This helps them become aware of the process and develop wider life skills. Please see Appendix 2 for our Food Play Policy.
9. We will follow a child’s interests. If a child arrives at nursery talking about something they’ve seen, done or are curious about, staff will incorporate this into the day’s play. Messages can also be sent between home and nursery on ParentZone.
10. We will take reasonable steps to provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning, and support language development at home. For example, we can provide a range of resources for role-play and resources can be marked pictorially. This will involve close and supportive partnership working with parents. See Partnership with Parents and Non-Discrimination Policies.

Use of garden

11. We encourage children to be involved in a variety of experiences including exploring outdoors. We use resources and the natural space to develop skills and interests and to enable the children to learn about risk taking. Children access the gardens in all weather. See our Garden Policy.

“Messy” Play

12. Messy play encourages children to use all their senses to learn about the world around them. At nursery we have the space and resources to give children opportunities they may not have at home, for example, exploring what happens when you mix cornflour and water.

Mark Making

13. Babies and young children are natural mark makers, this is not just about children using a pencil and forming letters. It begins with young children making marks with their fingers in sand, paint and many other materials.
14. We encourage mark marking in every room with mark making resources freely accessible. Mark making and speech provide children with powerful tools for thinking, reasoning and problem solving. Mark making helps to make the processes of creativity and critical thinking visible and are a way of representing their thoughts and feelings. Early marks support children in forming the skills needed for writing.

Songs, rhymes and stories

15. We have a set of core books and songs, as set out in our Curriculum Statement, see Appendix 1. Part of our teaching uses our approach called Playing with Sounds, which helps to build the blocks of learning to read by having fun with sounds, songs and rhymes. Please see Parent Factsheet provided in the Welcome Pack.
16. Words and patterns of words are an important part of a child’s learning and stories form part of our cultural heritage and a foundation for imagination. Story time is a unique part of the day when children and staff come together to listen and share. We believe that in a busy day it helps to have a quiet reflective time.
17. We often use songs and rhymes to help with Personal, Social and Emotional Development issues. When we learn songs we can give parents copies of the words so that they can sing them at home.
18. Staff can also use Makaton to support language development and understanding and help pre-verbal and EAL children communicate.
19. Circle, or group, times are held in an age appropriate way, and are an opportunity for children to share news, listen to other children and discuss issues, ideas and observations with staff. Welcome songs are sung to gather all children and staff into the nursery community, which promotes a sense of belonging.
20. For children whose home language is not English, we will support them through providing and sharing songs and books in their own language (see Non-Discrimination and Partnership with Parents Policies) and by working with parents to help practitioners learn key words.
21. Parents and bilingual staff are often able to record favourite songs or stories in their home language and we welcome these as valuable resources to share with all children. Parents are welcomed to come in and read to all children in their home language.

Technology

22. Learning how and when to use technology is an important part of a child’s learning and development. We teach children, when appropriate, to use a range of technology. It is important that children are taught to use this equipment properly.
23. We offer a wide range of non-digital technology such as tools and other science-based explorative activities which range from playing with different types of locks and fasteners to deconstructing electrical items and engaging with science experiments.
24. Children have access to a computer or laptop in each pre-school which is used to research child-initiated questions and ideas, with the children. This is only done alongside practitioners and is done safely. Please see our E-Safety Policy.
25. Children may use a computer or laptop to access games that are relevant to their stages of learning. However, a computer is not offered as part of free play because we believe that many children are exposed to screen-based learning a lot already and believe it’s important at nursery for them to focus on non-screen resources.

Enrichment activities

26. A variety of enrichment activities such as French, football, yoga and sewing are provided at different times of the year by specialist practitioners and by BCC staff with specific skills. This is part of our commitment to providing a wide range of activities and broad curriculum and experiences. Children are invited to join in these activities at no extra charge above the hourly rate. We interchange activities according to seasons and other events happening in nursery, so not all of the activities are available in all nurseries at all times. Subject to space availability, children can book extra hours to come in and take part in these activities. All external teachers are DBS checked.

THE LEARNING CURRICULUM – OBSERVATION, ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING

27. The government standards for Learning, Development and Care for children from birth to five are set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This is the curriculum that we follow. There are four guiding principles of the EYFS:

• A Unique Child
• Positive Relationships
• Enabling Environments and
• Learning and Development

There are seven areas of learning and development. These are divided into three Prime Areas:

1. Communication and language;
2. Physical development; and
3. Personal, social and emotional development.

Practitioners working with younger children will focus on these three prime areas. As children grow in confidence and ability, practitioners will help them develop skills in four Specific Areas. These are:

1. Literacy;
2. Mathematics;
3. Understanding the world; and
4. Expressive arts and design.

Practitioners also reflect on the different ways children learn through three Characteristics of Learning:

1. Playing and exploring;
2. Active learning; and
3. Creating and thinking critically.

A fourth strand has been developed by Bristol City Council Early Years Team:

4. Emotional Wellbeing.

All of the activities that we do with children link to this EYFS curriculum.

28. We observe every child and “teach in the moment” to ensure all children are making progress on their starting points (baseline assessment). See below.
29. Parents are able to talk to staff at any time about their child’s learning and development. See Partnership with Parents Policy.

Find out more at www.foundationyears.org.uk.

OBSERVATON, ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING

30. Our ethos is for staff time to be focussed on high quality interactions with the children. We believe that “if we are capturing the moment, we cannot be part of the moment”. We adhere fully to the EYFS requirements on assessment in paragraphs 2.1 to 2.3.
31. For information about the progress check at two, see the Partnership with Parents policy.
32. We use iConnect, a secure online system, to share information with parents. Parents can access this through ParentZone. Information regarding sleeps and meals is updated daily. Photos and “moments” (snapshots of children’s learning and play) are shared on an “in the moment” basis but are not timetabled. Parents can also input information and photos of their child. Alternative strategies are used for parents who have difficulties with reading English and/or Internet access, see Partnership with Parents Policy.
33. We constantly observe children to understand them so that we can consider their individual needs, interests and development and use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience.
34. We use a Planning and Sequencing document to capture a child’s development, plan for future learning, share progress with parents, raise any areas of concern, and support staff CPD (Continuing Professional Development). A grading of “met” or “not yet” is used for each area of learning using the BEYA (Barnet Early Years Alliance) OPAL (Observation of Play and Learning) Milestones.
35. Development Matters, Birth to 5 Matters and the OPAL Milestones documents are all used by staff, alongside their professional knowledge and the BCC Curriculum, to assess progress and plan for future learning when completing each Planning and Sequencing document.
36. When a child joins, to capture the “starting points” parents will complete an All About Me form and staff will complete a Planning and Sequencing document after approximately a month. This will focus on the three prime areas.
37. Children are assessed sixth monthly based on the child’s birthday and age. These are the child’s “Spotlight Months.” In those months, staff will observe the children in detail and some observations will be inputted on to iConnect in preparation for completing a Planning and Sequencing document.
38. If a child’s birthday month falls close to when they start nursery, staff will review the initial Planning and Sequencing document in the birthday Spotlight Month.
39. Each Planning and Sequencing document will be discussed with parents at a short meeting with the Key Person (KP) and the final document will be shared through iConnect (a photo of it is put on iConnect) or emailed.
40. In March the Curriculum Lead will review all Planning and Sequencing documents and talk to staff to track the progress and development of all children and note any areas of concern. This may be where staff need more training or the environment needs improving. This is an annual opportunity to evaluate the nursery provision as a whole.
41. In September the Curriculum Lead will spend extended time in each room observing staff interactions, practice and the environment to support the staff where needed. Any actions will be added to Room or Individual Development Plans.
42. Although the KP leads on the detail of the Planning and Sequencing document for each child, all staff in each room are aware how to support each child developmentally as they work as a team.
43. When a child starts nursery, parents/carers will attend a Parent Induction Meeting with the Manager/KP. See Partnership with Parents Policy. Information shared by parents, including on the All About Me form, will be used, along with staff observations, in establishing a baseline for each child.
44. All About Me Forms and copies of reports are kept by each Key Person in their Key Person folder.
45. Practitioners are encouraged to constantly reflect on their practice including the planning, routine and set up of the room. Priorities for Improvement are listed on a Room Development Plan. Resources and activities are evaluated for their effectiveness and outcomes which is used to plan future experiences.

HOW LEARNING IS CELEBRATED

46. Children’s work and achievements are displayed on boards around nursery, on the website and in the newsletters.
47. Displays in nursery focus on the process a child has been through to create something and comments they made while working on the project are noted alongside the artwork or photographs. In this way we celebrate the process rather than the end product.
48. Staff celebrate individual achievements every day with positive praise and enthusiasm. Each child is encouraged to take home artwork and creations.

PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS – SHARED LEARNING

49. Partnership with Parents means that we are keen to work with parents to ensure that every child has the best experience they can at nursery and develops and learns at a pace and in ways appropriate for them. We would like parents to understand what we do at nursery and be a part of their child’s learning journey.
50. We encourage parents to share information about their child and what they are enjoying at home so that there is continuation of experiences between home and nursery. This can be done through ParentZone.
51. We use this information to extend a child’s interests which can help progress learning and development. Bridging the gap between home and nursery can help make a child feel secure and we recognise that it is extremely valuable to develop that link. We aim to engage and support parents in all ways that we can. Staff are always happy to discuss parents’ concerns and we share articles to help inform parents where appropriate.

SPECIAL EDUCTIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY (SEND)

52. Each child is treated as an individual. All adult-initiated activities are designed to be inclusive and provide each child with appropriate challenges. For children with particular education needs, please see our Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

53. We believe it is important for staff to be continuously learning and developing alongside the children. Bristol Childcare is committed to staff development through training, education and appraisals. Staff are encouraged to go on regular training courses, read and use online resources and share good practice between them, which help to teach new skills or refresh old ones, for the benefit of the children. Our continuous monitoring and evaluation help us to understand any areas of weakness and how staff need support.

List of Appendices 

Appendix 1 – Curriculum Statement

Appendix 2 – Food Play Policy

Appendix 3 – In the Moment Planning