Curriculum | Bacup Nursery School

Bacup Nursery School Curriculum

Intent

Curriculum Objectives

1. To provide all pupils with equal access to a rich, broad, balance and differentiated curriculum well matched to their ages, abilities, interests, attitudes and needs.

2.To increase pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding as they grow and develop and strengthen their connections with the world around them.

3. To ensure the curriculum is creative, carefully planned and structured to ensure that the learning is continuous and that pupils make good progress in the development of their learning, with language and vocabulary at the centre of all we do.

4. To engage the children's interest by offering excellent opportunities to extend creative learning, challenge imagination, value uniqueness, and to encourage and motivate them to learn.

5. To provide pupils with lots of exciting, first hand experiences that immerse children in the world around them to reinforce their learning and to underpin their growing knowledge, skills and understanding.

6. To facilitate awe and wonder and cause pupils to see the wonderful world in which they live.

7. To provide pupils with a curriculum which enables them to develop their talents, skills and a love of learning.

Implementation (Please contact the school for Bacup Nursery School Progression Documents)

Our curriculum has been designed by qualified teachers. Bacup Nursery School teachers work closely with highly skilled and qualified teaching assistants to provide learning opportunities that are exciting and engage awe and wonder into the children's lives and improve the quality of education they receive. Our curriculum is broad, ambitious, challenging, unique, planned, with new experiences and sequential.

Our curriculum starts with children at the centre of all that we do. Children enter nursery school with varying abilities and experiences, and we recognise that parents know their own child best. Key times are planned to support the transition into nursery school such as open days, meetings with a key worker prior to the child starting in nursery and a presentation from the headteacher to parents so that they can find out more about our curriculum and support their child's learning at home.

Bacup Nursery School staff skilfully observe children and using their expert knowledge of child development and the characteristics of effective learning they sequence learning to ensure continuity and progression through a well planned curriculum that is constantly enhanced and enriched, and so that children become reflective and resilient learners.

Our learning environments, both indoor and outdoor, provide a safe place where children can develop, explore and investigate. Two year old children have their own learning environment where their needs can be met most effectively. Three and four year old children learn together, along with other areas throughout the school used purposefully to meet the sensory needs of children, to deliver specific interventions for identified children, and in the Summer term prior to children starting primary education increased planned learning challenges are provided that prepare children for the next stage in education.

The language development of each child is the core element of our curriculum. Good speaking and listening skills are the foundation for all other areas of learning, particularly reading, writing and maths. Nursery school staff model effective communication with children by commenting, asking open questions, modelling key vocabulary and introducing new words to enable children to become confident communicators. Quality texts from books and stories are used as starting points for our learning themes.

Our curriculum is further enriched with a variety of first hand experiences and links with the local community, and where children can develop an understanding of the world beyond their local community. Children enjoy forest school, music groups, dance sessions, yoga sessions, visits to the local Church, visits to and from a local farm, and local primary schools as part of enrichment. We value diversity and give children the foundation for anti-discriminatory values to take to other areas in their lives. Children see staff modelling positive attitudes, speech and behaviours. We use stories and books to promote and celebrate differences as we want children to understand, accept and respect others.

How We Teach Reading

At Bacup Nursery School, children are immersed in a language and print rich environment
Children's language development (a pre-requisite for reading) is assessed through Wellcomm and children allocated intervention groups if needed
Children self register and use their name cards each session
Children are read to everyday in nursery with a clear and consistent teaching structure delivered by all staff, and to develop a love of reading, and reading for pleasure
Children are taught reading vocabulary such as the author, the illustrator, the front cover, the blurb
Quality texts, books stories, songs and rhymes are starting points for planning for children's learning
Continuous provision areas promote speaking and listening skills, and daily learning challenges are provided
Children are taught phonics in ability groups daily using a consistent programme, Red Rose Phonics
Staff are trained to deliver phonics and Talk for Writing
Where children are ready, they are taught Phase Two phonics, blending words to read and segmenting words to spell and learning sight words in a sequence. A reading book from a reading scheme and reading diary are sent home.

How We Support Parents with their Child's Reading Development

Parents and carers can choose a book from our school library to share at home
'Book marks' are provided in the library which support parents sharing books and stories with their child at home
Parents are invited to stay and play sessions which have a clear focus i.e. Nursery rhymes
Special events at key times of year where parents are invited to spend time reading with their child
Phonics and Reading Home packs are provided
Free 'How we teach phonics' sessions for parents
Reading activities that can be done at home are provided with new learning themes

How We Teach Writing

Physical Development is a prime area of learning in the EYFS and this is essential to enable children to develop fine motor skills needed for writing, and subsequently developing an effective and correct pencil grip
Children take part in Dough Disco at the beginning of each session to promote physical skills
Writing for a purpose learning opportunities are provided in all areas, both indoor and outdoors, including children's writing as signage around school, enhancing our print rich school environment
Children are expected to use their name card to 'write' their name on their pieces of work
Talk for Writing approach is used for 'hooking' and engaging children, and encouraging them to write
Reading and writing are closely linked; daily phonics sessions include spelling and writing cvc words and ccvc words
Bacup Nursery School staff are trained in how to model writing for children, how children learn to write, the stages of writing, and stages of developing a correct pencil grip

How We Support Parents with their Child's Writing Development

Parents are invited to stay and play sessions with clear focus i.e. on mark-making
Writing Home Packs are provided, and writing opportunities in other home packs to further support writing
Free 'How we teach phonics' sessions for parents, include writing and spelling cvc and ccvc words
Writing activities that can be done at home are provided with new learning themes

How We Teach Maths

Mathematical vocabulary is taught in context to support children's understanding
Children work in ability maths groups daily
Numberblocks time is a sequenced plan of work
Children take part in continuous provision activities such as sand, water, construction and role play, and daily maths learning challenges
Mathematical learning activities are provided both indoors and outdoors
Staff are trained in developing key mathematical concepts; problem solving, numbers, calculations, shape, space, measure
Routines are embedded so that children develop an understanding of pattern and time

How We Support Parents with their Child's Mathematical Development

Extra-curricular clubs are provided for parents to join their child in maths club
Parents are invited to Curriculum Trails (Easter) and stay and play sessions with a clear maths focus
Maths activities that can be done at home are provided with new learning themes
Maths Home Packs are provided explaining how parents can help their child to complete the Home Pack
Free 'Maths sessions for parents' delivered by staff

Impact

Children's achievements are monitored and measured in each child's Learning Journal
Children's learning is assessed On Entry to nursery school, then termly and on Exit with focus on Progress and Attainment
Our curriculum is monitored by the headteacher, governing body and curriculum leaders
Groups of children's learning is monitored and compared
Monitoring and evaluation systems are regularly reviewed and acted upon i.e Planning and Learning Journal scrutinies identify curriculum strengths and areas for improvement so that the Quality of Education is most effective
Teacher and Staff Appraisal systems ensure staff are accountable for our high quality curriculum

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS)

The EYFS starts from when a child is born until the end of the Reception Year in Primary School. There are 7 Areas of Learning. 3 Prime Areas of Learning and 4 Specific Areas of Learning:

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Communication and Language

Physical Development

Specific Areas

Literacy

Maths

Understanding the World

Expressive Art and Design

We use our sequences of learning to review children's progress and attainment. However, our well planned Curriculum is much more than this so that children's learning is enriched with exciting and challenging key learning opportunities. We place a strong focus on communication, stories and reading to ensure children can talk clearly and use quality texts from books for pleasure and finding information. We ensure children are well prepared for Primary School.

BNS Curriculum Framework Cycle for 2 Year Olds

Two Year Olds Curriculum Plan PDF .pdf

BNS Curriculum Framework Cycles for 3 & 4 Year Olds

Curriculum School to School Support

Bacup Nursery School provides school to school support to a range of other schools and providers. Please contact the school if you would like to discuss this and book a visit for your school/ setting.

Exemplifications of Bacup Nursery School's Curriculum documents are available to purchase from the school. Please ring the school on 01706 873856 for further support.