Our Curriculum
Quality of Education
At My Little Stars, we put the quality of education (along with the safeguarding and welfare requirements) at the heart of our Early Years curriculum. We understand that essential knowledge is needed to help prepare children for their future success. Staff use our tailored curriculum to enhance the children’s experience by giving them rich learning opportunities to strengthen the quality of teaching and engagement with children.
We believe learning to be a social process, by interacting with adults and other children through exploration and investigation and joint reflection. This is how our staff as Early Years Educators, build on the children’s prior knowledge, gaining an insight into the children’s thoughts and their experiences by listening, observing and asking them open ended questions.
Our Curriculum
Intent
My Little Stars Nursery believes that all children should experience the best possible start in life. We recognise that the experiences provided in the early years of a child’s life are extremely important to a child’s life-long learning potential.
In planning and guiding what children learn, and the pace and styles of their learning, we reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust our practice appropriately, considering the 3 Characteristics of Effective Learning.
We always strive to offer a place of awe and wonder for all children, through providing rich and challenging environments and experiences for our ‘little learners’. Our pedagogical approach is very much blended in order to be tailored to the individual needs and learning styles of each child.
We aim to do this by creating a happy, safe, creative and home from home environment, ensuring that every child’s voice is heard, and their ideas, thoughts and interests are valued.
We believe that all children have a passion for learning, particularly when learning is tailored to the needs of an individual. We provide an environment and experiences where every child feels valued and heard, through consistent but flexible routines.
Our view is that when a child feels valued and has the freedom to be themselves, in an environment that is forever evolving, learning becomes an enjoyable lifelong passion.
Covid-19 – As a nursery we have recognised the impact of COVID-19, particularly on the children’s personal, social and emotional development. This is something we continue to focus on across the nursery, paying particular focus to building supportive and consistent relationships. We are also focusing on each child’s ability to regulate their emotions and understand and follow the fair and consistent boundaries of the setting.
(All staff members are trained to a high standard of child development. However, we are all aware that children learn at different rates and not all children will follow the same trajectory. This is something that is closely monitored and considered by all staff, before learning is tailored to each individual)
Our curriculum intent is tailored to each individual child’s age and stage of development, as they transition and grow within the nursery.
Cultural Capital
(The essential skills and knowledge that children need to be successful)
As a result of our well-planned experiences and environment full of possibility, children will know they are loved, valued, strong and unique. They will gain belief in their own abilities and build a sense of resilience and perseverance.
The children will gain the confidence to try new things, make their own choices and communicate freely about the things they believe in. The children will also be at one with their imagination, this may be through role-play, storytelling, rhymes, dance, or other creative methods.
The children will build a strong sense of self, giving them the ability to regulate their emotions and the skills to from healthy bonds and friendships.
They will also learn to respect the world around them and understand key mathematical and scientific concepts, being willing to explore nature and communities.
Most of all our children will be prepared and well equipped for their next stage of learning!
Outdoor Play Area
My Little Stars prides its outdoor play area, where the children are able to express themselves freely, by jumping, running, shouting, and most of all, exploring. This sense of freedom of being in the open has scientifically been proven to be beneficial for a child’s development, both physically and mentally.
The children are encouraged to be active and happy by enjoying their outdoor play area, which comprises of a Growing and Planting Area (cause and effect), a Nature Trail Area (sensory exploration), a Rock Climbing wall (physical and balancing Skills), a pond which inhabits tadpoles during the spring time and bird houses and bird baths (care for animals and creatures), mud kitchen (being imaginative), Sand and Water Area (sensory exploration)as well as cars and scooters (physical skills).
Developing an awareness of nature and the natural world helps children to understand the importance for caring for plants, animals and all creatures, which is vital for personal and social development, as well as understanding the world around them.
Children with Emerging
and Individual Needs
At My Little Stars Nursery School, we believe in giving all children the opportunity to make progress to help achieve their best outcomes possible. However, for some children this may mean they need a bit more support to overcome any barriers that might stop them from learning. We work hard alongside parents/carers, to help us understand your child's strengths and abilities, as well the extra needs they may require. We will have regular meetings with you to make sure we continue to meet your child's needs, by developing individual plans to help them make progress. When your child first starts My Little Stars, they will have an initial baseline assessment within 2 weeks of their starting. If during this assessment we identify any emerging needs, we will ensure that you are informed in order to gain further information on whether you have similar concerns. We understand the importance of working alongside parents as partners, to ensure your child receives the best care possible. We have exceptional partnerships with our external agencies, such as the Coventry Speech and Language Therapists SALT, and the Coventry Early Years Special Educational Team SEND. We ensure your child will always feel safe, respected and valued during their time at My Little Stars.