The Early Years Foundation Stage
At Little Seeds Nursery, our curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework. This is the national framework for children from birth to five years old. The EYFS sets out seven areas of learning and development which support children to grow, learn and thrive during their early years.

These areas are:

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

The EYFS recognises that young children learn best through play, exploration, active learning and positive relationships. Therefore at Little Seeds, our curriculum is designed to nurture children's curiosity, confidence and independence while providing strong foundations for future learning and success.

You can learn more about the EYFS by visiting the Department for Education website here. 
 

Our Focus on the Prime Areas

At Little Seeds Nursery, we place particular emphasis on the three Prime Areas of Learning which are Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) and Physical Development. We believe these areas provide the foundations for all future learning and are therefore at the heart of everything we do.

Children need strong communication skills, positive relationships, emotional wellbeing, independence and physical confidence before they can successfully access more complex learning in reading, writing, mathematics and other curriculum areas. Through high-quality interactions, purposeful play and rich experiences, we help children develop these essential foundations every day.

The wider areas of the EYFS curriculum provide meaningful opportunities for children to strengthen and apply these skills. This ensures learning remains broad, engaging and developmentally appropriate while building the foundations needed for future success in Reception and beyond.

 

How Children Learn at Our Nursery

Our curriculum is rooted in the belief that young children learn best through a balance of exploration, play and carefully planned interactions and activities. We provide an environment where children can investigate, create, question and discover, supported by skilled practitioners who extend learning through conversation, modelling and meaningful interactions. Communication and language sit at the centre of our approach, with a strong emphasis on vocabulary development, storytelling, discussion and high-quality adult-child interaction.

 

Explore Time

A significant part of each day is dedicated to Explore Time, where children lead their own learning through purposeful play. During this time, practitioners observe, interact and respond to children's interests, helping to deepen learning and extend thinking through skilful questioning and conversation.

Depending on children's interests and current learning themes, Explore Time may include:

• Construction and small world play
• Creative arts and exploration of different materials
• Water, sand and sensory experiences
• Outdoor investigations, gross motor play and nature exploration
• Role play and storytelling
• Mark-making, drawing and early writing opportunities
• Counting, sorting and mathematical exploration
• Singing, music and movement

These experiences help children develop independence, curiosity, communication skills, resilience and a love of learning while ensuring learning remains enjoyable and meaningful.

 

Little Link and Language Development

Communication and language development are key priorities within our curriculum. We know that children's ability to communicate effectively has a significant impact on their confidence, wellbeing and future success.

To support this, we create language-rich environments where children are encouraged to talk, listen, share ideas and develop vocabulary throughout the day. High-quality interactions, stories, rhymes and songs are embedded across the curriculum to support children's developing communication skills. Practitioners also implement the ShREC Approach to ensure all interactions support children’s vocabulary acquisition and language development.

We also use evidence-informed tools, including Little Link for children aged 3 to 4 and Every Child a Talker (ECAT) for younger children, to identify strengths and any areas where additional support may be beneficial. This helps us ensure children receive the right support at the right time and enables us to work closely with families to support communication development.

 

The Road to Reading

In our nursery, children begin our Road to Reading programme. This programme was developed by early years and reading specialists from schools across Aurora Academies Trust and is designed to build the foundations children need before formal phonics teaching begins. The Road to Reading is not a phonics programme. Instead, it focuses on developing the essential skills that underpin successful reading, including:

• Listening and attention
• Language and vocabulary development
• Enjoyment of stories, rhymes and books
• Sound awareness
• Speaking and communication skills

Through carefully planned teaching and engaging activities, children develop the confidence and skills needed to make a successful transition into Reception and the Read Write Inc. phonics programme.

 

Early Mathematics

At Little Seeds Nursery, children follow the Aurora Nursery Maths Curriculum, which was developed by early years maths specialists from schools across the Aurora Academies Trust. This programme has been designed to build the strong foundations needed before beginning the Reception Mastering Number programme. Through play, exploration and carefully planned teaching, children develop confidence with early number, pattern, shape, measure and mathematical language.

Mathematical learning is woven throughout the nursery day and takes place through:

• Group activities
• Purposeful interactions with practitioners
• Mathematical opportunities within Explore Time
• Songs, rhymes and stories
• Indoor and outdoor play experiences
• Everyday routines and real-life contexts

Through a range of experiences such as counting objects during play, comparing quantities, noticing patterns in the environment or discussing size and shape, children are encouraged to think mathematically and talk about their ideas. This helps them develop a secure understanding of early mathematical concepts and prepares them for a successful transition into Reception.

 

Monitoring Progress and Sharing Learning

We believe assessment should be purposeful, supportive and centred around each child's individual development.  Therefore, our practitioners continually assess children's learning through their daily interactions, observations and deep knowledge of each child. This helps us identify strengths, celebrate achievements and plan meaningful next steps.

Our focus is on understanding children's developmental progress and ensuring they are well-prepared for the next stage of learning. We place particular importance on supporting children's readiness for Reception through the development of communication, independence, confidence, physical skills and positive learning behaviours.

We work closely with parents and carers and regularly share information about children's learning and development through:

• Daily conversations and informal feedback
• Parent consultations and meetings
• Progress updates and reports
• Celebrations of children's achievements and learning

By working in partnership with families, we can ensure every child receives the support, challenge and encouragement they need to flourish and make a confident transition into