How we get there
- We provide settling in sessions catering for children and family’s needs, offering personalised placemats and self-registration, warm and friendly conversations with children and families, a key person system to create strong bonds, Tapestry observations and play and stay sessions.
- We prioritise time to talk during play and activities, listening to children, role modelling by introducing new words and using clear language and some Makaton, daily ‘Rhyme Time’ and stories, activities planned for Letters and Sounds and ‘Time to Talk/Listen’.
- Our planning is flexible follows children’s interests and can be adapted so everyone has the opportunity to be involved and engage in all activities; changing resources and the environment to suit children’s needs and learning styles.
- Child-initiated and adult-led activities provide a variety of learning opportunities. Practitioners and children work together to further children’s knowledge, planned termly topics introduce new ideas and events and continuous provision reflects the interests of children.
- Next steps planning allows practitioners to provide challenge for children to help them progress. Children encouraged to be responsible and look after their environment, resources and each other through tidy up time, setting tables, clearing away after meals, managing own hygiene and being a special helper.
Our assessments
- We have regular discussions about activities/routines/resources and changes that may need to made.
- Bi-weekly planning meetings ensure that we are providing activities that support children’s ongoing learning and interests.
- We ask parents to complete Interests from home form termly to share children’s progress at home.
- A child’s Key Person will plan for your child’s next steps and share this with parents/carers via Tapestry.
- Team meetings take place half termly, where staff discuss children’s progress and areas of support.
- We carry out termly assessment for key groups in all 7 areas of learning.
- Our ‘All About Me’ forms the starting points for children’s learning; we regularly report to parents/carers, both formally and informally.
- We carry out a baseline assessment, two weeks after a child starts with us.
- The two-year old progress check is an opportunity for to collaboratively review where a child is on their learning journey. It identifies their strengths, interests, and any further support or intervention required.
