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Guidance on Care & Learning

The Green Door Nursery
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Guidance on Care and Learning

Each day is structured around the children’s care needs. Lunch, play and sleep punctuate each day giving opportunities for learning experiences. Having order to the day gives a sense of time, place and meaningful purpose for each child. Daily repetition reassures children giving familiarity with the nursery environment and putting children at ease. This enables children to form friendships with peers and engage in learning. Learning happens through opportunities arising from both; children’s own choice of play, and; activities that are adult-led. Children are given appropriate encouragement to take part in and choose from varied activities. Activities are predominantly led by children’s interests and carers meet together weekly to discuss interests and plan. The nursery is well resourced with an experienced and well qualified staff group. And further supported through; ongoing training; external and internal teacher input; NDNA membership; childcare networks and the inspection process.

 

Care and learning in the first two years is ever changing, adapting and responding to needs to meet the rapid growth of this young group. Learning centres on the early development of language, mobility and social skills. Emerging self-will and developing independence increases in importance as children progress through the group. Children’s groups are small with high staff ratios to provide a greater level of support and learning for each child. Learning is progressed through care and play activities appropriate for children's age. Older two year children are encouraged to perform self care tasks. Language and social skills are key areas of learning for this young group. Older children are encouraged to self-register with use of a photo board and a visual time-line sets out the day’s events for the children. A separate, covered, outside play area is available. Children are able to play outside twice a day for up to an hour each time or more regardless of the weather.
Children join this group once they have the ability and confidence to safely manage free flow play, perform self care tasks and enjoy being part of a larger group. There is an increased choice of activities available to them with the corresponding larger play area. This includes access to the outside classroom and garden also. Children self-register with a photo board and a visual time-line sets out the day’s events for the children. Children are encouraged and rewarded with turn taking. Expectations increase to self-help with simple care needs such as putting on shoes and clothing unaided. The aim with learning is to progress each child's full learning potential and to enable children to transition to school confidently with an enjoyment of learning.
All learning and care at the nursery is governed by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the framework for learning for all children aged 0-5 years. Throughout the day children have access to varied activities orientated towards the seven different areas of learning and development given in the EYFS, with greater emphasis placed on the prime areas of Communication and Language, Physical and Personal, and Social and Emotional development. The nursery is routinely inspected by OFSTED as a requirement of our registration. The nursery is further inspected by Bristol City Council as a provider of the Early Years Entitlement or free hours.
The nursery provides a well resourced play environment and skilled staff who engage with children in play to extend their learning. The staff team meet weekly to plan learning and resources for the following week based on observations of the children during play. Previous planning is assessed and evaluated to determine outcomes of learning and to inform future planning. From this adult led activities are planned to further enhance learning and are held with an individual child or as a group activity. Some parts of the nursery day are more structured, such as circle times and story times, when the children take part in whole group activities.

The nursery practices free flow where children have freedom to move between all areas and choose an activity. This both develops their independence and enables best learning potential. By giving children the ability to choose, play is prolonged with greater engagement by them. This gives best opportunities for the staff team to extend learning in a fun and meaningful way.

Social skills and British values are taught by way of example with staff acting as role models working uniformly. This is evident in all practices at the nursery.

Through a caring and well resourced learning environment each child is able to flourish. Integral to this is the skill of the staff team and nursery ethos which respects each child as an individual and values children’s efforts, interests and purposes.

Information about the focus for learning is given on the Notice Boards. We sometimes ask parents for help with activities or for resources such as photos. We also ask parents about each child’s interests at home. The notice boards give information about each day at the nursery. Each child has a record of development which we share with you.