College Green Nursery School & Services

Please see below for details of our EYFS Curriculum, if you would like to find out more please email at admin@cgss.brent.sch.uk or call the school on 0208 969 2179 and ask for our Curriculum Coordinator.  

Early Years Foundation Stage

We believe that children have the right to an education and that they learn best through play and first-hand experience. We use our skills, experience and understanding as Early Years Educators to ensure that children are encouraged to become lifelong learners who are enthused about their learning.

At College Green School & Services we are informed by our guiding principles to create magical experiences for the children. We understand that children are active learners, that learning is a social and collaborative and that the role of the adult is crucial. To this effect we aim to demonstrate through all aspects of our work our commitment to the four themes and principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage: 

• A Unique Child – every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
• Positive Relationships – children learn to be strong and independent from base of loving a secure relationships with parents and or with their Educator
• Enabling Environments – the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning
• Learning and Development – children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected

The EYFS includes the characteristics of effective teaching and learning. These highlight the importance of the child’s disposition and attitude to learning and ability to engage in exploration, play and creativity across all areas of learning.

The Three characteristics which we use and promote as learners behaviour:

• 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 their achievements
• Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things

In the EYFS there are 7 Areas of Learning and Development, these are split into two distinct groups :

The Prime Area

The Specific Area

The prime areas begin to develop quickly in response to relationships and experiences, and run through and support learning in all other areas. The prime areas continue to be fundamental throughout the EYFS

1. Communication and Languages – Listening, Attention, Understanding and Speaking

Developing children’s confidence in communicating, speaking, listening, and expressing their ideas and experiences. 

2. Physical Development – Moving and Handling, Health and Self-Care

Encourages children to be healthy and active and develops their skills, co-ordination, control and movement preparing them for writing.

• Children learn to understand what contribute to well-being, physical and mental health by participating in various enrichment activities such as Forest Schools, sports, Peer Massage, dance etc.

• They become risk takers by being willing to have a go, climbing tree and apparatus.

• Children learn about healthy diet by chopping up fruit and vegetables at the snack bar, growing these foods in our mini allotment, cooking and eating our health lunches.

3. Personal, Social and Emotional Development – Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness, Making Relationships, Managing Feelings and Behaviour

We are a Rights respecting school. Children are encouraged to develop a positive self-image and to respect others. 

• Children build on positive self-image and self-esteem through nurturing interactions in a safe and secure learning environment that help children to thrive and grow ready for next their next steps in life and their academic learning.

The specific areas include essential skills and knowledge. They grow out of the prime areas, and provide important contexts for learning

1. Literacy – Reading and Writing

Developing love of books enjoying looking at texts in the environment, and mark making.

• They learn to read when they are exposed to language and vocabulary, enjoying stories together, sharing books, experimenting with sounds, song and rhyme.

• They learn to hold one handed tools and write by making marks on paper, purposeful writing in role play, dance, messy play, playdough, painting, drawing, wood work, cutting, sewing and climbing.

2. Mathematics – Numbers, Measure, Shape and Space

Allows children through practical means to solve problems and develop an awareness of numbers, counting and calculating, shape, space and measure.

• Children learn about mathematics when they are building, playing with sand and water, cooking, climbing, threading, sorting, making patterns, counting and knowing that math’s is everywhere and in everything we do.

• They learn about science whilst they are experimenting with messy play, gardening, blowing bubbles, observing and sequencing events.

 3. Understanding the World – People and Communities, The World, Technology

Children explore the world around them, communities, living things, changes, construction and ICT.

• They become to understand about forces by playing with cars on different surfaces, and through construction toys

• They learn about natural world around them by showing appreciation taking care of their natural environment, jumping knee deep in mud and understanding living things by growing seeds and observing minibeasts.

• They learn to understand similarities and respect and celebrate differences in our diverse community through our Value of the Month, celebrations, exploring artifacts, traditional clothes, cooking, local visits, home corner and sharing family experiences.

4. Expressive Arts and Design – Exploring and Using Media and Materials, Being Imaginative.

In this area children will be experiencing art, music, movement, dance and imaginative role-play.

• Children become creative learning through mixing their own paint, junk modelling, designing, expression through music and art, being messy and exploring different materials and dwelling in imaginative play!