Nursery Curriculum

Please find below a summary of the Nursery Schools curriculum details. Please note that these policies are shortly due for review and will be updated accordingly. Should you have any questions then please feel free to contact us directly.

Our Nursery works in agreement with the curriculum framework guidelines set by the Scottish Office for children aged three to five years and aims to meet the performance indicators laid out in "The Child at the Centre"

The curriculum framework refers to planned learning experiences based on different key aspects of children's development and learning in the following five areas:

  Emotional, personal and social development

 

 · Communication and language

 

 · Knowledge and understanding of the world

 

 · Expressive and aesthetic development

 

 · Physical Development and movement.

 

Children deepen awareness of themselves as learners by planning, questioning and reflecting. They consolidate this learning when they have time and space to engage in activities in depth. They develop theories through investigation, first hand experience, talk and play.

Within our Nursery we aim to develop and broaden the range of children's learning experiences through the five areas of the curriculum framework to produce confident, eager and enthusiastic learners who are not only looking forward to school but will be confident and capable in their contributions throughout life.

Below are policy statements and procedures of practice relating to the five separate areas of the curriculum framework.

Helping children become independent, self confident, caring towards others and curious about the world is vital to all other aspects of the child’s learning. At Mallaig we recognise the importance of taking time to establish the best possible atmosphere to enable children to develop and learn effectively.

We do this by:

Introducing children to the nursery in small groups over a period of time in line with Highland Council policy. Parents are encouraged to stay with their children until they are happy and settled. It is also a time for staff and parents to share information and to get to know each other.

Encouraging links between home and school

 

By encouraging parents to spend time in the nursery with their children throughout the year .

 

Using encouragement and appropriate praise to develop confidence in the children. Time is spent establishing routines and making children aware of the rules so that they can become increasingly independent in the nursery. The value of taking this time at the beginning of the year cannot be over-emphasised.

 

Providing opportunities for children to play co-operatively and form friendships.

 

Encouraging positive attitudes to people and the environment through story telling, role play, discussion and songs. Children are encouraged to ask questions and express their feelings through talk, drawing, painting, movement and play.

 

Encouraging children to make choices of activities. Staff provide support at these activities and encourage children to work through and complete tasks appropriately.

 

Organising the nursery session in such a way that there is time for free choice, for adult directed activities, for quiet times and for energetic play.

 

Nursery staff providing positive role models for children.

 

In Mallaig we build on children’s earliest language which is acquired in the home, and endeavour to extend the children’s range of language experiences. Language work is structured to include Listening, Talking, Early Reading and Early Writing. In Gealic Nursery we introduce the Gaelic language by communicating with the children entirely in Gaelic (unless on a matter of health and safety).

 We do this by:

Providing an attractive book corner. Staff encourage children to use and care for books appropriately. Children are encouraged to use books to find information to extend learning experiences.

 

Using story time to encourage the children to listen and respond to stories, poems, songs, music and rhymes. The language and layout of books are also discussed.

 

Engaging children in conversations, encouraging them to express their feelings and thinking. Children are encouraged to ask questions.

 

Organising activities which require children to listen to information or instructions e.g. craft, cooking, etc. Listening is further developed through the use of listening centres and playing listening games e.g. lotto.

 

Providing a writing table with a variety of tools and writing materials. Children’s drawings and written marks are discussed and valued. Staff scribe children’s stories when appropriate. Children are encouraged to “write”.

 

Making links between the written word and the spoken word e.g. at story time, at the writing table, using recipes, etc.

 

Raising awareness of letters, sounds and words through the use of name cards and other print, including captions, in the nursery and in the community.

 

Providing opportunities for children to practise these skills in their free play.

 

At all times staff are sensitive to the needs of individual children and recognise that young children vary greatly in their language abilities. When appropriate planning and consultation are carried out with the Speech and Language Therapist and Pre school Teacher.

At Mallaig, in order to encourage children to be curious and ask questions, staff recognise the importance of using the children’s interests and knowledge as a starting point for developing learning experiences. Children require support to develop their curiosities.

We do this by:

Planning a broad range of experiences to broaden children’s knowledge of people, the community, the natural world, everyday uses of technology, health and safety and mathematical knowledge.

 

Using familiar daily routines and children’s own interests to provide contexts for learning.

 

Inviting people to the nursery to talk to the children e.g. the nurse, policeman, Paramedics.

 

Visiting local places of interest e.g the beach, local woods and rivers, the Post Office, the Police Station and the Lifeboat.

 

Providing activities to encourage children to be able to use technology independently e.g. scissors, computer, kitchen utensils, etc.

 

Taking time to establish health and safety routines e.g. hand washing, rules in the gym, etc, and encouraging children to be aware of others.

 

Taking part in health promotions e.g. Fruit Initiative

 

Providing games and activities which enable children to practise early mathematical skills.

 

Introducing the language of size, shape, colour and texture.

 

In all of the above, children are developing a range of skills in investigating – observation, questioning, experiment, design and make and problem solving.