Approach to early years education

Locks Heath Infant & Nursery School offers a nurturing environment where ‘pupil’s personal development is at the heart of the school and adults understand the children’s needs and care for them sensitively’ (Ofsted 2023).  This approach is extended into our nursery provision and we are committed to developing good mental health for early year’s children, developing self-regulation skills with responsive care from reliable, dedicated and empathetic trusted adults.

We are committed to providing high quality early years learning in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.  Our most recent Ofsted report (2023) stated ‘Children’s learning journeys start well in the early years. Children participate in a range of useful activities that support their learning across the curriculum.’  Our Ofsted grade for Early Years provision was GOOD and the overall grading for the school was GOOD.  The nursery curriculum will develop confident and curious learners who are able to build positive relationships with others.

The school is aware that speech, language and communication difficulties are a significant predictor of later literacy difficulties and those children whose language difficulties are resolved by five and a half are more likely to go on to develop good reading and spelling skills.  Our commitment to developing children’s speech and language can be seen through our work with both NHS and Private speech therapists.  Alongside this skilled work, the Nursery provides a language rich environment giving children opportunities to learn new words and develop their oracy skills.  High quality story books and the singing of nursery rhymes and songs are at the heart of the curriculum.

Nursey leaders and staff are committed to working with parents to develop good health practices for life including; children’s emotional health, healthy eating, physical activity and good oral health. Educating children in these practices and involving parents alongside them in meaningful activities will offer ideas to support at home.  The Nursery utilises existing expertise of the Home School Link Worker (HSLW) to support parents.  They have a wealth of knowledge and contacts with local support services including health visitors, school nursing, children services and charities, and they are adept at supporting parents to get the help that they need.

The Nursery setting offers a safe, carefully managed environment with outside space used thoughtfully (Ofsted 2023).  There are a variety of outside spaces which include a play area directly outside the room allowing free flow, and a garden and woodland area which enables the children to explore and fulfil their physical potential in a variety of environments.  Outdoor play is prioritised to allow children to develop self-confidence, independence and self-esteem.  We value the direct link between movement and coordination development and the development of fine motor and concentration skills which lay the foundations for learning as the children move through the school.  As part of this approach, the children will experience our ‘Forest Explorers’ sessions, enabling the children to observe and explore the changes in nature through the seasons of the year.

Planning for the Nursery provision tracks back from the comprehensive curriculum in Year R.  The provision uses Development Matters to incorporate the steps in learning for nursery age children thus ensuring that children are prepared for and successful in their first year at school.  Alongside personal and social development, staff work hard to develop pre phonic skills based on speaking and listening, using Phase 1 of Letters and Sounds.  Gross and fine motor skills will be developed based on the use of aspects of the Griffin OT Programme.  An exploratory maths approach is used, with provision designed to encourage the children to explore the concepts of number, number patterns, shape, space and measure.