Education

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old. It provides a framework and structure to help children learn in a safe, structured yet stretching way. It also ensures that play opportunities are non-stereotypical and consider all backgrounds and cultures.

Play is crucial in exploring the world, learning and developing. At Little Acorns Nursery, we strive to make this as fun and exciting for the children as possible. Our highly trained team who are supportive and nurturing ensure that the learning is tailored to the pace of the child. Our sole purpose is to give your child the best start in life.

The areas of learning are:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

At Little Acorns Nursery, we provide the 3 prime and 4 specific areas through a play based environment where children feel safe to explore and have fun.

• Heuristic play - Offers children the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of non-commercial and natural objects such as boxes, cotton reels and wooden objects. This enables children to explore and discover through trial and error promoting their creativity and critical thinking skills.


• Construction and block play - allows children to explore and express themselves, it also develops children’s mathematical awareness as they learn about length, measurement, comparison, numbers and develop their problem-solving skills.


• Sand and water play - children learn about mathematical concepts and develop their hand and eye coordination as they learn to scoop, sift, funnel and pour.


• Role play - Develops their imaginations and act out experiences, while enhancing their social skills by turn taking and playing cooperatively with one another.


• Malleable and sensory play - Explores a variety of sensory and messy activities such as dough, shaving foam and gloop. This gives children the opportunity to compare textures such as smooth, rough, hard and soft and learn to mark make within them. It also develops their senses and language skills by responding to what they see, hear, feel, touch and smell.


• Small world play - builds on their language skills, expanding their vocabulary and their understanding, as well as enhance their personal, social and emotional development as they interact with others.


• Physical play - Uses their energy and develops their fine and gross motor skills. It can also enhance concentration, motivation, fitness and wellbeing.


• Creative play - can offer the children the opportunity to express their creative play and feelings through role play, dance and music, mark making and art.


• Outdoor play - Allows children to explore and care for the natural world, experience the joy of the different seasons and gain plenty of fresh air for healthy minds.