Four guiding principles shape practice in an Early Years setting. These are:
- Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
- Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
- Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and /or carers.
- Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.
During this stage of your child’s life they will be learning new skills, gaining new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through the seven areas of learning and development that are outlined within the Birth to 5 Matters framework.
Children should mostly develop in the three prime areas first. These are:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
As your child grows, the above prime areas will help them to develop skills in four specific areas. These are:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the world (i.e. people who help us)
Expressive arts and design
We use the seven areas to design activities and opportunities to help support your child’s learning and development. All of the learning experiences provided will be suited to your child’s individual needs. The Birth to 5 Matters framework is designed to be flexible so that we can fully meet each child’s needs and follow their interests.
We will document your child’s learning and development within their Learning Journey. This will be completed by your child’s Key Person and can be accessed by the child and their parents at any time. Within a child’s Learning Journey there will be:
Photo Observations
Written Observations
Family Photographs
Artwork
Progress Summaries – These will be completed every six months or when your child moves room. Around the time your child turns two, however, their Key Person will write a report to be shared with your child’s health visitor. These reports will highlight areas where your child is progressing and anywhere they may need a little support.
We actively encourage parents to be involved with their child’s learning and development at Nursery, as children do best when parents and practitioners work together. Therefore if you require any further information on the Birth to 5 Matters or information on how to promote this within the home environment please speak to one of the team.