The Curriculum

Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born.  The care and education offered by the playgroup helps children to continue to do this by providing them with interesting activities that are right for their age and stage of development.

For children between the ages of 3 and 5 years, we provide a curriculum for the foundation stage of education that is set out in a document called ‘Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage’ published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Department for Education and Skills.  Playgroup follows this guidance.

The guidance divides children’s learning and development into six areas:

For each area, the guidance sets out early learning goals. These goals state what it is expected that children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.

PlaygroupFor each early learning goal, the guidance sets out stepping stones, which describe the stages through which children are likely to pass as they move to achievement of the goal.   We use the early learning goals and their stepping stones to help us to trace a child’s progress and to enable us to provide the right activities for your child.  Playgroup achieves each child’s movement towards these early learning goals with an emphasis on learning through play.

To ensure that what the Playgroup provides is right for your child’s particular needs and interests, we operate a key worker system.  This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom she/he is particularly responsible.  When your child first starts she/he will help your child to settle and will work together with you to help your child to benefit from our activities throughout their time at Playgroup.

This Half Term...

Our theme this term is “Water” and we hope you will be able to talk more about this at home too.
This theme is built around knowledge of the world, starting with the sea and the creatures they know live there. Fish, starfish and shells, being fished by boats or from the shore, discussing these topics help enrich vocabulary and conversation, personal, social and emotional skills, problem solving, reasoning and numeracy skills (Maths)and creativity.
Making a mermaid uses imagination and helps them to explore different creatures.
The children learn through play.
Play is a spontaneous, natural method of learning for most children, that involves either learning alone or with others.
“Play helps young children to be competent learners who can make connections and who can create and transform ideas and knowledge, because they are imaginative and expressive” (EYFS,2008)
So while playing, sometimes copying what they see adults do, other times trying out ideas, using available equipment, each child stretches boundaries and learns how things work, why they do or don’t.

Week 1 (7th - 11th June ) Father’s Day – Frogs
These first two weeks we concentrate on creating a father’s day present and card. The children will be cutting, sewing, sticking and writing their name.

Week 2 (14th –18th June) Continue from last week
As we look at frogs and their life-cycle, we hope to arrange a trip to Hopleys this week.

Week 3 (21st -25th June) Washing machines
The children will be making a washing machine from a cereal box and looking what sort of things we put inside.
They will also be tracing a washing line, practising their fine motor skills.

Week 4 (28th June –2nd July) Washing our hands / cleaning our teeth
Joining the dots to complete the picture of toothbrush and toothpaste, making a little hand soap and talking about hygiene, is on the list for this week.

Week 5 (5th – 9th July) Going to the beach - Suitcases
The children will be painting a cereal box, sticking holiday pictures on it to make a suitcase to bring this term’s work home in.
They will do a sequence picture of clothes - they may like to pack for their holiday. This helps them to practice fine motor skills, problem solving and is a part of knowledge and understanding of their world.

Week 6 (12th – 16th July) Continue
As last week was sport’s day we will continue activities started last week and will be able to catch up on anything else.
Key workers will be putting the final observations in to complete reports on the children who are leaving.

Week 7 (19th – 23rd July) Teddy Bear’s Picnic
This week will be about the Teddy Bear’s Picnic, which takes place on Friday 23rd July and starts at 10am. All children are invited. We finish about 11.30am.
We wish you a relaxing, healthy and enjoyable summer holiday.