Curriculum Policy

Curriculum Policy

Staff involvement
This policy was drawn up in the consultation with the Head Teacher of Taynuilt Primary School and the staff of Taynuilt Pre 5 Unit.

Rationale
At Taynuilt Pre 5 Unit we strongly believe in the importance of providing a quality education, which involves working in partnership with parents to build on and develop children’s learning. We aim to adopt the recommendations in the curriculum framework to provide the children with access to a full range of learning opportunities encouraging them to develop their own curiosity and creativity through the importance of learning through play. As a result they will develop emotional maturity and social skills and hence become confident, eager and enthusiastic learners.

Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to inform staff and parents/carers and to ensure a collaborative approach to the development of the curriculum in this establishment.
Staff in this establishment are committed to working in partnership in developing children’s learning.

Aims
We aim to:

• Provide a safe and stimulating environment in which children can feel hapy and secure.
• Encourage the emotional, social, physical, creative and intellectual development of children.
• Promote the welfare of children.
• Encourage positive attitudes to self and others, developing confidence and self-esteem.
• Create opportunities for play.
• Encourage children to explore, appreciate and respect their environment.
• Provide opportunities to stimulate interest and imagination.
• Extend children’s abilities to communicate ideas and feelings in a variety of ways.

Curriculum Principles
“The curriculum refers to a framework of planned learning experiences based on different aspects of children’s development and learning”

The key aspects/areas of the curriculum are as follows:

• Communicate and language
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Expressive and aesthetic development
• Physical development and movement
• Emotional, personal and social development

The curriculum framework adopted by this establishment is outlined below. It helps staff to plan activities and experiences that will promote development and learning. It also sets out a range of learning outcomes for each aspect/area of the curriculum.

Emotional, Personal and Social Development
Children in early years settings have to cope with people and situations out with the family, and which are unfamiliar to them. To overcome this they need to become increasingly independent and able to form social relationships, particularly with other children. It is very important therefore that they experience warm, secure and caring relationships where praise is given appropriately and where a sense of humour is encouraged. Children will learn effectively if they feel safe, confident and good about themselves.

In emotional, Personal and Social Development children learn to:

• Develop confidence, self-esteem and a sense of security.
• Care for themselves and their personal safety.
• Develop independence, for example, in dressing and personal hygiene.
• Persevere in tasks that at first present some difficulties
• Express appropriately feelings, needs and preferences.
• Form positive relationships with other children and adults, and begin to develop particular friendships with other children.
• Become aware of and respect the needs and feelings of others in their behaviour and learn to follow rules.
• Make and express choices, plans and decisions.
• Play co-operatively, take turns and share resources.
• Become aware that celebrations of cultural and religious festivals are important in people’s lives.
• Develop positive attitudes towards others whose gender, language religion or culture, for example, is different from their own.
• Care for the environment and for other people in the community.

It is a priority at this establishment that children receive the support of staff to develop self-esteem and self-confidence. Secure and stable relationships should be formed with staff and careful supervision should be in place so that children feel safe. Rules are in place to ensure safety and children should know where help can be sought in case of worry or upset.

At Taynuilt Pre 5 Unit all children will be given full support, during their settling in period, from both staff and parents through familiar routines. Children should develop confidence, self esteem and a sense of security. They will learn to care for themselves and their personal safety.

All children will be encouraged to develop independence and to persevere with difficult tasks. Children should be encouraged to express their feelings appropriately and form positive relationships with adults and other children, becoming aware of the needs and feelings of others. All children will be encouraged to make and express choices to plan and play co-operatively, taking turns and sharing resources.

All children will celebrate cultural and religious festivals and develop positive attitudes towards others whose gender, language, religion or culture is different from their own. They will learn to care for their environment and for all people who live in the community.

Communication and Language
The development of communication and language is linked closely with other aspects of children’s learning. The development of skills in language is central to their abilities to communicate in relationships and learning, to understand ideas and to order, explore and refine their thoughts.

In Communication and Language children should learn to:

• Have fun with language and making stories.
• Listen to other children and adults during social activities and play.
• Listen with enjoyment and respond to stories, songs, music and rhymes and other poetry.
• Listen and respond to sounds and rhythm of words in stories, songs, music and rhymes.
• Pay attention to instructions and information from an adult.
• Talk to other children or with an adult about themselves and their experiences.
• Express needs, thoughts and feelings with increased confidence in speech and non-verbal language.
• Take part in short and more extended conversations.
• Use talk during role-play and retell a story or rhyme.
• Use language for variety of purposes, for example to describe, explain, predict, ask questions and develop ideas.
• Use books to find interesting information.
• Recognise the link between the written and spoken word.
• Understand some of the language and layout of books.
• Develop an awareness of letter names and sounds in the context of play experiences.
• Use their own drawings and written marks to express their ideas and feelings.
• Experiment with symbols, letters and in some cases, words in writing.
• Recognise some familiar words and letters, for example the initial letter of their name.

At Taynuilt Pre 5 Unit all children should have many opportunities to enjoy language through stories, songs, music, rhymes and poetry. They will be encouraged to listen to other children and adults during social activities (such as snack time) and play activities, as well as for information and instructions.
All children will be encouraged to talk to other children and adults about themselves and their experiences with increasing confidence. They will have the opportunity to take part in short and more extended conversations and learn to use language for describing, explaining, predicting and for questioning.

All children will be encouraged to develop an enthusiasm for stories and an enjoyment of books by hearing stories and rhymes and by browsing through books together and using them to find interesting information. Children should become familiar with their own name by seeing it written often. Suitable captions and labels will be displayed and read together, helping children to recognise the link between the written and spoken word.

All children will be encouraged to experiment with their own drawings, mark-making and written communications using a variety of materials.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World
From their earliest days, children try to make sense of the world. Their natural curiosity drives them to explore, investigate and understand their environment and at times to wonder.

In developing their knowledge and understanding of the world children will learn to:

• Develop their powers of observation using their senses.
• Recognise objects by sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.
• Ask questions, experiment, design and make and solve problems.
• Recognise patterns, shapes and colours in the world around them.
• Sort and categorise things to groups.
• Understand some properties and materials, for example soft/hard, smooth/rough.
• Understand the routines and jobs of familiar people.
• Become familiar with the early years setting and places in the local area.
• Become aware of everyday uses of technology and use these appropriately
• Be aware of daily time sequences and words to describe/measure time, for example snack time, morning, first, next, clock.
• Be aware of change and its effects on them, for example their own growth, changes in weather and trees.
• Care for living things, for example plants, feeding the birds, pets at home.
• Be aware of feeling good and the importance of hygiene, diet, exercise and personal safety.
• Develop an appreciation of natural beauty and a sense of wonder about the world.
• Understand and use mathematical processes such as matching, sorting, grouping, counting and measuring.
• Apply these processes in solving mathematical problems.
• Identify and use numbers up to ten during play experiences and counting games.
• Recognise familiar shapes during play activities.
• Use mathematical language appropriate to the learning situations.

At Taynuilt Pre 5 Unit all children are given the help and support needed for them to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world through play activities. Children will visit or have visits from familiar people in the local area.

All children will develop an awareness of their senses and learn to ask questions, experiment, design, make and solve problems. They will be encouraged to recognise patterns, shapes and colours in the world, sort and categorise into groups and understand some properties of materials. All children will be made aware of everyday technology and daily time sequences with appropriate words.

Using the local area all children will be encouraged to develop an awareness of changes in trees, flowers and weather and how to look after living things. They should also gain an appreciation of natural beauty and a sense of wonder about the world.

By providing healthy snacks and daily hand washing routines we will provide children with the opportunities to develop awareness of the importance of hygiene and diet in order to feel good.

Through daily activities all children will begin to learn to match, sort, group, count and measure and how to use these to help solve mathematical problems. Through table and singing games all children will begin to learn to use numbers up to ten, recognise familiar shapes and understand mathematical language.

Expressive Development
Expressing and creating ideas, feelings and imagination as well as having opportunities to enjoy all manner of sounds, sights, shapes and textures are vital parts of children’s development. In developing expressive and aesthetic experiences the emphasis should be on enjoyment, expression and learning that takes place during the experience rather than on the finished product.

In expressive and aesthetic development children will learn to:

• Investigate and use a variety of media and techniques such as painting, drawing, printing and modelling with fabrics, clay and other materials.
• Express thoughts and feelings in pictures, paintings and models.
• Use role-play or puppets to recreate and invent situations.
• Use verbal and non-verbal language in role-play.
• Listen and respond to sounds, rhythms, songs and a variety of music.
• Make music by singing, clapping and playing percussion instruments.
• Use instruments by themselves and in groups to invent music that expresses their thoughts and feelings.
• Move rhythmically and expressively to music.
• Listen to music from different cultures.
• Participate in simple dances and singing games.

At Taynuilt Pre 5 Unit all children are filled with enthusiasm and stimulated to make their own creations whether it is through art, music or physical techniques.

All children will be provided with opportunities to investigate and choose from a wide variety of media, such as painting, drawing, printing and modelling with such things as dough, clay and various junk materials. Staff will interact with every child to encourage them to express their thoughts and feelings through their work with all types of media.

All children will be encouraged to become involved in role-play where they can recreate events and stories and develop imaginary and real situations. The home corner and dressing up clothes, as well as puppets, small worlds and games will provide situations where children can develop their role-playing skills.

All children will be given opportunities to listen and respond to a wide variety of music, sounds and songs and are encouraged to make their own music through singing, clapping and making use of instruments of their own choice. They will be encouraged to move rhythmically and expressively to music as well as joining in simple dances and singing games.

Physical Development and Movement

In physical development and movement children learn to:

• Enjoy energetic activity both indoors and outside and the feeling of well-being that it brings.
• Explore different ways in which they can use their bodies in physical activity.
• Use their bodies to express ideas and feelings in response to music and imaginative ideas.
• Run, jump, skip, climb, balance, hop, throw and catch with increasing skill and hand confidence.
• Co-operate with others in physical play and games.
• Develop increasing control of the fine movements of their fingers and hands.
• Develop an awareness of space.
• Be safe in movement and in using tools and equipment.
• Be aware of the importance of health and fitness.

At Taynuilt Pre 5 Unit all children are given opportunities and encouraged to enjoy and take part in energetic activity both indoors and outside on a daily basis. They are provided with experiences enabling them to use their bodies in a variety of ways and express physically their thoughts, ideas and feelings during play and imaginative activities.
All children will be given opportunities to develop all gross motor skills and gain confidence in their abilities.
Children will be encouraged to co-operate with their peers in physical play, while developing an awareness of the space around them and developing their balance.
Throughout the curriculum all children are provided with opportunities to develop their fine movements of their fingers and hands.

Children’s learning
The starting point for learning is the child. When planning children’s learning staff will take account of the following:

• The child’s previous experiences and achievements.
• The child’s needs and interests.
• The individual ways in which the child learns.

Play makes a powerful contribution to children’s learning. It provides opportunities for children to:

• Make sense of real-life situations.
• Develop awareness of themselves and others.
• Explore, investigate and experiment.
• Be actively involved in learning.
• Draw and test their conclusions.
• Develop self-confidence.
• Express their ideas and feelings in many different ways.
• Inhabit imagined situations.
• Act out and come to terms with experiences at home or with friends.
• Be solitary, quiet and reflective.
• Collaborate with others.
• Take the initiative on their own terms.
• Develop relationships.
• Practise skills.
• Consolidate previous learning.
• Be challenged in new learning.

Methodology
While much of children’s learning is through free play, the role of adults is important in supporting and extending then children’s learning. Such interaction allows staff to increase the level of challenge or support within each area, introduce appropriate vocabulary and channel children’s interests.

Free Play
Many play opportunities should be freely chosen from a broad range of worthwhile activities and experiences. These will allow the child to:

• Develop interests.
• Try out different ways of learning.
• Explore materials.
• Explore relationships.
• Extend perseverance and concentration.
• Learn new skills.
• Set own goals.
• Become absorbed and relaxed in their play.

Playroom Organisation
The playroom organisation and layout is crucial to the children’s learning. Staff should be aware of the flow of play and through their observations should identify what has or has not worked and adjust the layout appropriately. The children are able to choose their own resources to take out.

There should be a range of activities , for example water or sand, construction, large physical play, home corner, etc provided daily. There should be a number of areas within the playroom providing space for both individuals and groups.

Progression
All children progress at different rates and will have different learning experiences prior to coming into the early years setting. Staff are required to take account of this when matching learning experiences to the needs of the child.
The observation and assessment of children’s progress will determine specific activities and experiences covered.

Taking Account of Younger Children
In taking account of younger children it must be remembered that they need:

• Lots of support and encouragement.
• Ongoing praise and reassurance.
• Opportunities to develop independence.
• Time to build relationships.
• Familiar routines.
• Time to engage in new experiences.
• Small and secure spaces.
• Time to rest and be quiet.

Adults should:

• Listen to what children say.
• Have realistic expectations.
• Make time for one-to-one activities and discussions.
• Be flexible in planning.
• Be consistent in responses and praise.
• Know when to intervene.
• Give more direction when teaching new skills.
• Allow time for “Settling in”
• Introduce new routines gradually.

Monitoring and Review
It is the responsibility of the Head Teacher along with the Pre 5 staff to monitor, evaluate and review the above arrangements and effectiveness of this policy and adjust them according to need.