Curriculum EYFS Summary​

 

Here at Butterfly Barns all practitioners have the highest expectations of what children can achieve and therefore, the quality of teaching while delivering the early years foundation stage is of the highest quality. We share the same principle that every child deserves the best possible start in life and support that enables them to fulfil their potential. The Early Years Foundation stage (EYFS) sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure children learn and develop and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s school readiness. In addition, it promotes a broad range of skills and knowledge that provide children with the foundation for excellent progress through school and life.

The EYFS covers the seven areas of learning and development that shapes activities and experiences within the educational programme. Areas of learning include:-

Prime areas:

• Communication
• Physical development
• Personal, social, and emotional development

Specific areas:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the world
• Expressive art and design

The EYFS details children’s next steps in learning and is used by practitioners as guidance. It is also used as a tool for assessments and to measure progress working closely with parents and/or carers.

At Butterfly Barns we have an established key person system in place. This means every child is allocated a practitioner as their key person who your child will form a special bond/close attachments with. The key person also develops a positive working partnership with the parents and will speak daily with regard to the child’s individual needs and development. The key groups are displayed within each room, allowing each child to be involved and aware of the grownups supporting them.

In addition the key person is responsible to document and evidence your child’s achievements and progress. All keyworkers will operate a ‘buddy’ system to ensure children are still being observed, and photos are still being uploaded to Tapestry in the absence of their keyworker. However, all staff work on a full time basis so children build strong bonds with the whole nursery team. Information will be gathered during your child’s first settling in and first few days at nursery following close consultation with the parent/carer to allow us to ensure continuality of care from home, into their nursery journey. From their starting point and throughout their time at Butterfly Barns your child’s key person will closely observe your child at play. We complete one detailed observation a month, focusing on the key ‘wow’ moments of achievement. Staff will take photographic evidence to build your child’s learning journey, and parents are able to view these are they are taken and uploaded on your own individual password secure Tapestry account. This allows parents to view their child’s experiences at the setting from wherever they are, and to even reply back to this.

We positively encourage parents to contribute what they know about their child and their child’s interest and achievements from home to their child’s Tapestry account, and when parents share pictures from their home life this is celebrated and displayed in the setting, allowing children the chance to share this with their peers.

Working with parents

 

​Our relationship with parents is a key element to our success, and is essential to the well – being, development and progress of your child during their time at Butterfly Barns Day Nursery. From your child’s first settling in session, we encourage parents to play a key part in starting the foundation for your child’s learning and development. We ensure through constant lines of communication we are sharing your child’s achievements and goals so that you are fully involved in your child’s learning process. Staff members meet with parents each day, to ensure we are continuously working in partnership.

We offer termly parents evenings for all parents to attend to allow you the opportunity to meet with your child’s keyworker to discuss your child’s development and time at nursery in thorough detail. We also operate an ‘open door’ policy to ensure clear and consistent lines of communication between staff and parents.

You will be kept up to date with activities and events throughout our monthly newsletters which will be uploaded to your child’s Tapestry. We also have both indoor and outdoor parent information boards displaying updates, artwork and parent support leaflets.

We also update our Facebook and Instagram pages weekly with all of the exciting things we have been up to!

Each room has its own nursery mascot that all children will have the opportunity to take on an adventure for a week, which will be documented through photos in our mascot diary. This is a fantastic opportunity for children to share with their peers what they may have gotten up to in their home life!