Our Curriculum

At Penny Poppins we follow the government-based framework for learning in the early years called the Early Years Foundation Stage. All children deserve the care and support they need to have the best start in life. Children learn and develop at a faster rate from birth to five years old than at any other time in their lives, so their experiences in early years have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe, and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high-quality early learning provide the foundation children need to fulfil their potential.

The EYFS sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

The EYFS is about what children learn, as well as how they learn. Effective practice is a mix of different approaches. Children learn through play, by adults modelling, by observing each other and through adult-guided learning.

The EYFS seeks to provide:

  • Quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress, and no child gets left behind.

  • A secure foundation through planning for the learning and development of each individual child and assessing and reviewing what they have learned regularly.

  • Partnership working between practitioners and with parents and/or carers.

  • Equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported.

Four guiding principles shape our practice here at Penny Poppins

These principles are:

  • Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured

  • Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.

  • Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.

  • Importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children, including children with special educational needs and disabilities

    (SEND)

Children learn best when they are healthy, safe, secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with other people caring for them. We endeavour to provide all of the above for your child to receive the best possible care and start in their learning journey.

We will concentrate on the 3 prime areas of learning which are:

Communication
and
language

Physical
development

Personal social
and emotional development

We will also be supporting children in the four specific areas

Literacy

mathematics

Understanding
the world

Expressive art
and design

All our learning here at Penny Poppins will be through play

Each child will be assigned a key person. The role of a key person is to help ensure that your child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs, to help your child become familiar with the setting, offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with their parents/carers. We will observe your child and use the online learning journals to keep you informed and updated on a regular basis.

Parent teacher meetings will take place twice a year and we will provide a full written report for your child before they move onto their next learning experience.