How Your Children Learn

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Preparing For Their Future

At Maryvale Nurseries, the children who are under our care develop their education and early life skills through seven different areas of learning. These areas form part of the Early Years Foundation Stage system.

What Is The EYFS?

The Early Years Foundation Stage, or EYFS for short, is a play-based framework that acknowledges that every child is a unique individual who learns and progresses at their own rate.

The aim of the EYFS is to support nurseries to make sure children from all backgrounds have equal opportunities and chances in life as those who are already advantaged. With the EYFS, parent and carers will be sure that their children, irrespective of the type of setting they attend, will get the same excellent standards of learning and care.

The EYFS brings out the importance of each child being able to develop at their own pace. It focuses on ensuring that each child has a member of staff allocated to them - a key carer, who ensures that they develop and take part in activities, mix with other children and most importantly, have fun!

The EYFS Is Based On Four Themes.

Every Child Is Unique

All children are competent learners from birth who can be resilient, capable and self-assured.

Positive Relationships

Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents/carers.

Enabling Environments

The environment plays a key role in supporting a child's development.

Learning & Development

Children learn and develop at different rates and in different ways. All areas of learning are equally important and interconnected.

The 7 Areas Of Learning

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage, there are seven areas of learning, which are broken down into two categories. The first category is Prime Areas and these are the 3 core areas we concentrate on with the children. The second category, Specific Areas, integrates 4 additional areas throughout the time your children are with us.

Let's take a look at each of these areas in a bit more detail. Prime areas are in red and specific areas are in green.

Communication And Language
In both small and large groups, children are encouraged to extend their vocabulary and fluency by talking and listening and by hearing and responding to stories, songs and rhymes. Children are helped to understand that written symbols carry meaning, to be aware of the purpose of mark-making (writing) and when they are ready , to use drawn and written symbols for themselves. We have props alongside books such as pictures, puppets and objects, to encourage children to retell stories and to think about how the characters feel. We foster shared experiences that children can reflect upon, e.g. visits, cooking or stories that can be re-enacted.
Physical Development
A range of equipment and opportunities, both indoors and out of doors, allows children to develop confidence and enjoyment in the use of development of their own bodily skills. The level of adult supervision enables children safely to create and meet physical challenges, developing increasing skill and control in moving, climbing and balancing. At the same time, children are supported in the development of fine motor skills required to use tools, including pens, pencils and scissors, and to handle small objects with increasing control and precision.
Personal, Social And Emotional Development
Within the nurturing environment, children are individually supported in developing confidence, autonomy and self-respect. They are encouraged to work and concentrate independently and also to take part in the life of the group, sharing and co-operating with other children and adults. Through activities, conversation and practical example, they learn acceptable ways to express their own feelings of others. All children are given the opportunity, as appropriate, to take responsibility for themselves, to respect others and the property of others.
Literacy
A well-stocked reading area gives every child the opportunity and encouragement to become familiar with reading materials, able to handle them and aware of their uses, both for reference and as a source of stories and pictures. Encouraging children to add to their first-hand experience of the world, through the use of books, other texts, information and communication technology (ICT). We provide a range of opportunities to write for different purposes about things that interest children.
Mathematics
By means of adult-supported practical experience, children become familiar with the sorting, matching, ordering, sequencing and counting activities, which form the basis for early mathematics. As they use their developing mathematical understanding to solve problems, children are assisted to learn and use the vocabulary of mathematics, identifying objects by shape, position, size, volume and number. Songs , rhymes, games and picture books help children become aware of number sequences and, when they are ready, to use simple mathematical operations such as adding.
Understanding The World
A safe and stimulating environment allows children to explore and experiment with a range of natural and manufactured materials. They learn to observe the features of objects and substances, recognising differences, patterns and similarities and to share and record their findings. Children are assisted in exploring and understanding their environment, both within the group and the wider community. A range of safe, well maintained equipment enables children to extend their technological understanding, using simple tools and techniques as appropriate to achieve their intentions and to solve problems.
Expressive Arts And Design
Children are encouraged to use a wide range of resource in order to express their own ideas and feelings and are encouraged to construct their responses in two and thee dimensions. Art equipment, including paint, glue, crayons and pencils as well as natural and discarded resources, provides for open-ended exploration of colour shape and texture and the development of skills in painting, drawing and collage. Children join in with and respond to music and storied and there are many opportunities for imaginative role-play, both individually and as part of a group. A variety of familiar resource reflecting everyday life such as magazines, real kitchen items, telephones or washing materials.

There are early learning goals, or ELGs for short that are the targets for children to achieve at the end of their reception year. They will be working towards these goals throughout the EYFS.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning and the Prime and Specific Areas of learning and development are all inter-connected Different elements of learning are identified in the EYFS, to make the complex picture of learning clearer. Children's learning is not compartmentalised and many or all of these elements are in action at the same time as children interact with people and things. We are always aware of and like to reiterate that all children are individuals and progress at their own rate.

Reviews

Thank you all so much for helping our little girl. She absolutely loves coming into nursery and that’s all credit to you all.
Thank you for all for the love and care you have shown my little boy settling into nursery.
We are delighted with the quality of care and education our little boy receives at Little Acorns. The staff always make him feel so welcome when he arrives each morning. He was quite shy and anxious when he first started, he now skips in with a big smile on his face.
Childs Voice We have a fantastic relationship with our staff, nothing can make it better!
Childs Voice Holiday Club is already excellent. The staff really are brilliant!
Holiday club make us feel 100% welcome. They have always got time for a chat. I would recommend holiday club 100% to my family. My own friends even have children in holiday clubs and have mentioned they are very happy with the outcome.
Parents Voice The staff at Holiday Club are so friendly and approachable.
Parents Voice Just so much for them to do and is full of fun! My some love attending. All the staff are extremely approachable and I feel I am leaving my son with family.
Our little boy loves nursery. Little Acorns staff are friendly and put our minds at rest. Our little boy became unwell at nursery, we couldn't fault the staff, they are very experienced and cared for him like their own.
My little boy loves running into nursery. If I mention the aunties names, he gets excited, so this makes me happy.
Our daughter absolutely adores your nursery. The aunties are incredibly warm, caring and attentive. We are so grateful for everything you do.
Dear Aunties, We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the exceptional care and support you provide at Little Gems. Your unwavering commitment to her well-being, growth and development is truly appreciated. It is evident in her smile and the enthusiasm she brings home. Your dedication and kindness do not go unnoticed and we are genuinely grateful for all that you do.
We are so happy with how our little boy is cared for by Bright Days staff. We really appreciate the hard work of all the staff, we only have a positive feeling towards Bright Days. We will be sad the day he has to leave and we know he will be too!
Amazing job all you ladies do at Bright Days Nursery, I couldn't thank you enough!
I love the girls at Bright Days, wouldn't trust my kids with anyone else. The staff do an amazing job. Both my children love going to nursery!
Bright days is a lovely nursery. The staff have been very welcoming and the fact the twins have settled in so quick proves that. Thank you.
I love the staff it's like leaving your child with a member of your own family.
Me and her dad feel so much more settled with her being in First Class she is so much happier.
My child has come on loads since starting at First Class Nursery!