Nursery Curriculum

At Eaton Square Schools, we believe that the impact of a strong EYFS curriculum is that all children make progress from their individual starting point. All children get the best possible start to their school life and develop the knowledge and skills to reach their full potential. They develop and nurture strong, positive attitudes, and become proud and respectful of themselves, others, and their environment. This allows them to carry with them the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which will make them lifelong learners and valuable future citizens.

We follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. We also have our own EYFS Curriculum Policy, in which you will find information about the EYFS areas of learning, how we support the children’s development in all areas, as well as the Early Learning Goals, and much more information.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The EYFS curriculum focuses on ‘The 7 Areas of Learning’:

The PRIME areas focus on:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language

These areas of learning are a real focus for children who are under 3 years old.

The SPECIFIC areas of learning explore:

Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

Children with Additional Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

We plan for each child’s individual learning requirements, including any child who may require Learning Enrichment or Support or has individual needs. The focus is on removing barriers for children where these exist, barriers which may affect their learning. Our aim is to:

Provide for those who need help with communication and language skills.
Plan, where necessary, to develop understanding using all available senses and experiences.
Provide additional assistance for those requiring literacy support.
Help children who have difficulties with behaviour to take part in learning effectively.
Plan for full preparation in learning, in all physical and practical activities.

To read our SEND Policy, please click here.

Children with English as an Additional Language (EAL)

We provide learning opportunities to help the children develop their English, and we provide support to help them take part in other activities by:

Providing a range of opportunities to use their home language(s) so that their developing use of English and other languages support one another.
Offering listening activities in English with their friends and teachers.
Providing bilingual or multilingual support.
Offering a variety of reading/writing opportunities in the child’s first language as well as in English.
Creating opportunities for children to hear their first language at school as well as English.

To read our EAL Policy, please click here.

The Nursery and Reception class teachers share their class timetable, as well as the Medium-Term Plan, with parents at the beginning of every term, along with a Welcome Letter. In this letter, they provide important information about the upcoming term, including key dates for the diary. We base our planning on the children’s interests, and we welcome parents to participate in our planning by contributing their ideas and thoughts. We believe that parents are their children’s first educators, and every effort is made to inform them about the EYFS curriculum, providing them with the tools to support continued learning at home. Parents are also encouraged to inform the school about their child’s interests and achievements at home, as these are essential parts of each child’s learning journey.

The weekly planning is displayed on the notice boards in every classroom, and parents often check what their children will be learning during the day at drop-off time. We also use Tapestry as a way to record the children’s learning journey and share those special moments with their parents. Parents are also welcome to upload their observations from home. When a child reaches the end of the EYFS, we create a very special document detailing their learning journey from their first day at Eaton Square Schools. Look out for our weekly newsletter, which outlines the highlights of each week.

Extracurricular Activities

Eaton Square Nursery children enjoy an immense range of enriching activities beyond their curriculum-led experiences.

From learning to swim with a professional swim coach to creating artwork for a charity auction, it is in these moments that children can begin to develop their love of sporting and creative pursuits, igniting sparks that will fire lifelong passions.

Children likewise can benefit from our regular trips to the likes of Forest School, London Wetlands Centre and the Royal Parks.

We also encourage children to develop their performance skills, strengthening their confidence and ability to communicate. Parents are most welcome at these events, with annual highlights including the Christmas Performance, Easter Bonnet Parade and Graduation Ceremony.