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Our setting aims to:

§ provide high quality care and education for children below statutory school age;

§ work in partnership with parents to help children to learn and develop;

§ add to the life and well-being of the local community; and

§ offer children and their parents a service that promotes equality and values diversity.

Parents

Parents are regarded as members of our setting who have full participatory rights. These include a right to be:

§ valued and respected;

§ kept informed;

§ consulted;

§ involved; and

§ included at all levels.

We aim to ensure that each child:

§ is in a safe and stimulating environment;

§ is given generous care and attention, because of our ratio of qualified staff to children;

§ has the chance to join with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together;

§ is helped to take forward her/his learning and development by being helped to build on what she/he already knows and can do;

§ has a personal key person who makes sure each child makes satisfying progress;

§ is in a setting that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop; and

§ is in a setting in which parents help to shape the service it offers.

Children's development and learning

The provision for children's development and learning is guided by The Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE 2012). Our provision reflects the four guiding themes and principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

How we provide for development and learning

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

The Areas of Development and Learning comprise:

Prime Areas

§ personal, social and emotional development;

§ physical development;

§ communication and language;

Specific Areas

§ literacy

§ mathematics

§ understanding the world

§ expressive arts and design

For each area, the level of progress children should be expected to have attained by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage is defined by the 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.

The ‘Development Matters’ guidance sets out the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the early learning goals. Our setting has regard to these matters when we assess children and plan for their learning.

Personal, social and emotional development

Our programme supports children to develop:

§ making relationships

§ self confidence and self awareness

§ managing feelings and behaviour

Physical development

Our programme supports children to develop:

§ moving and handling

§ health and self-care

Communication and language

Our programme supports children to develop:

§ listening and attention

§ understanding

§ speaking

Literacy

Our programme supports children to develop:

§ reading

§ writing

Mathematics

Our programme supports children to develop:

§ numbers

§ shape space and measure

Understanding the world

Our programme supports children to develop:

§ people and communities

§ the world

§ technology

Expressive arts and design

Our programme supports children to develop:

§ exploring and using media and materials

§ being imaginative

Our approach to learning and development and assessment

Learning through play

Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to think. Our setting uses the Early Years Foundation Stage ‘Development Matters guidance to plan and provide a range of play activities which help children to make progress in each of the areas of learning and development. In some of these activities children decide how they will use the activity and, in others, an adult takes the lead in helping the children to take part in the activity. In all activities information from the Development Matters guidance to the Early Years Foundation Stage has been used to decide what equipment to provide and how to provide it.

Characteristics of effective learning

We understand that all children engage with other people and their environment through the characteristics of effective learning that are described in the Development Matters guidance to the Early Years Foundation Stage as:

§ playing and exploring - engagement

§ active learning - motivation

§ creating and thinking critically – thinking

§ We aim to provide for the characteristics of effective learning by observing how a child is learning and being clear about what we can do and provide in order to support each child to remain an effective and motivated learner.

Assessment

We assess how young children are learning and developing by observing them frequently. We use information that we gain from observations, as well as from photographs of the children, to document their progress and where this may be leading them. We believe that parents know their children best and we ask them to contribute to assessment by sharing information about what their children like to do at home and how they as parents are supporting development.

We make periodic assessment summaries of children’s achievement based on our ongoing development records. These form part of children’s records of achievement. We undertake these assessment summaries at regular intervals as well as times of transition, such as when a child moves into a different group or when they go on to school.

The progress check at age two

The Early Years Foundation Stage requires that we supply parents and carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the three prime learning and development areas of the EYFS: personal, social and emotional development; physical development; and communication and language; when a child is aged between 24 - 36 months. The key person is responsible for completing the check using information from ongoing observational assessments carried out as part of our everyday practice, taking account of the views and contributions of parents and other professionals.

Records of achievement

The setting keeps a record of achievement for each child. Staff and parents working together on their children's records of achievement is one of the ways in which the key person and parents work in partnership. Your child's record of achievement helps us to celebrate together her/his achievements and to work together to provide what your child needs for her/his well-being and to make progress.

Your child's key person will work with you to keep this record. To do this you and she/he will collect information about your child's needs, activities, interests and achievements. This information will enable the key person to identify your child's stage of progress. You and the key person will then decide on how to help your child to move on to the next stage.

Working together for your children

In our setting we maintain the ratio of adults to children in the setting that is set through the Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements. This helps us to:

§ give time and attention to each child;

§ talk with the children about their interests and activities;

§ help children to experience and benefit from the activities we provide; and

§ allow the children to explore and be adventurous in safety.

How parents take part in the setting

Our setting recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children. All of the staff see themselves as partners with parents in providing care and education for their child. There are many ways in which parents take part in making the setting a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:

§ exchanging knowledge about their children's needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff;

§ contributing to the progress check at age two

§ helping at sessions of the setting;

§ sharing their own special interests with the children;

§ helping to provide, make and look after the equipment and materials used in the children's play activities;

§ being part of the management of the setting;

§ taking part in events and informal discussions about the activities and curriculum provided by the setting;

§ joining in community activities in which the setting takes part; and

§ building friendships with other parents in the setting.

The parents in the setting

The setting welcomes parents who would like to help at a particular session or sessions of the setting. Helping at the session enables parents to see what the day-to-day life of the setting is like and to join in helping the children to get the best out of their activities.

Joining in

Parents can also take part in a session by sharing their own interests and skills with the children. Parents have visited the setting to play musical instruments, cook and talk about their work eg opticians, nurse, radiographer and taxi driver.

We welcome parents to drop into the setting to see it at work or to speak with the staff.

Key persons and your child

Our setting uses a key person approach. This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom she is particularly responsible. Your child's key person will be the person who works with you to make sure that what we provide is right for your child's particular needs and interests. When your child first starts at the setting, she will help your child to settle and throughout your child's time at the setting, she will help your child to benefit from the setting's activities.

The setting's timetable and routines

Our setting believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the day in the setting are provided in ways that:

§ help each child to feel that she/he is a valued member of the setting;

§ ensure the safety of each child;

§ help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group; and

§ provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning.

The day

The setting organises the day so that children can take part in a variety of child-chosen and adult-led activities. These take account of children's changing energy levels throughout the day. The setting caters for children's individual needs for rest and quiet activities during the day. Outdoor activities contribute to children's health, their physical development and their knowledge of the world around them.

Snacks and meals

The setting makes snacks and meals a social time at which children and adults eat together. We plan the menus for snacks so that they provide the children with healthy and nutritious food. Do tell us about your child's dietary needs and we will make sure that these are met.

Policies

Copies of the setting's policies and procedures are available for you to see at the setting.

The setting's policies help us to make sure that the service provided by the setting is a high quality one and that being a member of the setting is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and her/his parents.

The staff work together to adopt the policies and they all have the opportunity to take part in the annual review of the policies. This review helps us to make sure that the policies are enabling the setting to provide a quality service for its members and the local community.

Safeguarding children

Our setting has a duty under the law to help safeguard children against suspected or actual ‘significant harm’.

Our employment practices ensure children against the likelihood of abuse in our settings and we have a procedure for managing complaints or allegations against a member of staff.

Our way of working with children and their parents ensures we are aware of any problems that may emerge and can offer support, including referral to appropriate agencies when necessary, to help families in difficulty.

Special needs

As part of the setting's policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special needs a child may have. The setting works to the requirements of the 1993 Education Act and The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2001).

Starting at our setting

The first days

We want your child to feel happy and safe with us. To make sure that this is the case, the staff will work with you to decide on how to help your child to settle into the setting. The setting has a policy about helping children to settle into the setting.

Clothing

We provide protective clothing for the children when they play with messy activities.

We encourage children to gain the skills that help them to be independent and look after themselves. These include taking themselves to the toilet and taking off, and putting on, outdoor clothes. Clothing that is easy for them to manage will help them to do this.

We hope that you and your child enjoy being members of our setting and that you both find taking part in our activities interesting and stimulating. The staff are always ready and willing to talk with you about your ideas, views or questions