Early foundation stage Curriculum
Rational including the philosophy and developmental theory adopted by the nursery and ECC when choosing a particular, which includes child Development Domain.
Gardenia Nursery
Early Years Foundation Stage or EYFS is a learning curriculum that Gardenia Early childhood follows. It provides to help support children’s learning and development from birth to above 5 .11 years old. EYFS sets at all early years providers must do to make sure that children learn and develop. It promotes teaching and learning to make sure all children have the skills to get them ready to progress through school and future life.
Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age four have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. Early Years providers must make sure that their staff are fully aware of what they have to do, to make sure your child’s individual needs are met through the EYFS.
EYFS Section
EYFS Section
The prime areas of learning are:
- Communication and Language.
- Physical Development.
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development.
The specific areas of learning are:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World.
- Expressive Arts and Design.
With the curriculum always in mind, our children are also immersed in elements of the most successful global early years educational practices.
At Gardenia Nursery ECC we recognise the importance of choice and personal interest and truly believe that this should be encouraged and developed as a skill for life. Teaching and learning follow a ‘child-initiated learning’ philosophy, with topics and activities being decided through observations of the children’s interests maximising children’s motivation to explore a project or develop an idea. Through this approach children make use of a variety of resources and demonstrate a complex range of knowledge, skills, and understanding. Although this will involve engaging in activities that are initially introduced by an adult, the children will also make choices to change, extend, repeat or further explore resources and concepts.
We are also committed to developing future change makers and innovators. We strongly believe that when children are encouraged to tap into and use their imagination, then magical, out of the box, creative thinking is developed. We explore and encourage the children’s creativity and imagination through the curriculum and environment to develop their innovation skills.
Philosophy and Developmental Theory
Gardenia Nursery-ECC implements the fundamental principles of learning approach by Reggio Emilon. A theory based on the principle of respect, responsibility and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum.
Children must have some control over the direction of their learning. Children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing and hearing. Children have a relationship with other children and with materials items in the world that children must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves.
The Principles underpin practice that is focused on assisting all children to make progress in relation to the Learning Outcomes.
Partnerships
Learning outcomes are most likely to be achieved when early childhood educators work in partnership with families. Educators recognize that families are children’s first and most influential teachers. They create a welcoming environment where all children and families are respected and actively encouraged to collaborate with educators about curriculum decisions in order to ensure that learning experiences are meaningful.
Partnerships are based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes, and build on the strength of each other’s knowledge.
In genuine partnerships, families and early childhood educators:
- Value each other’s knowledge of each child.
- Value each other’s contributions to & roles in each child’s life.
- Trust each other.
- Communicate freely and respectfully with each other.
- Share insights and perspectives about each child.
- Engage in shared decision-making.
Partnerships also involve educators, families and support professionals working together to explore the learning potential in every day events, routines and play so that children with additional needs are provided with daily opportunities to learn from active participation and engagement in these experiences in the home and in early childhood or specialist settings.
Partnerships also involve educators, families and support professionals working together to explore the learning potential in every day events, routines and play so that children with additional needs are provided with daily opportunities to learn from active participation and engagement in these experiences in the home and in early childhood or specialist settings.
High expectations and equity
Early childhood educators who are committed to equity believe in all children’s capacities to succeed, regardless of diverse circumstances and abilities. Children progress well when they, their parents and educators hold high expectations for their achievement in learning. Educators recognize and respond to barriers to children
achieving educational success. In response they challenge practices that contribute to inequities and make curriculum decisions that promote inclusion and participation of all children. By developing their professional knowledge and skills, and working in partnership with children, families, communities, other services and agencies, they continually strive to find equitable and effective ways to ensure that all children have opportunities to achieve learning outcomes.
Preparation for the big school programme.
Respect for diversity
There are many ways of living, being and of knowing. Children are born belonging to a culture, which is not only influenced by traditional practices, heritage and ancestral knowledge, but also by the experiences, values and beliefs of individual families and communities. Respecting diversity means within the curriculum valuing and reflecting the practices, values and beliefs of families. Educators honor the histories, cultures, languages, traditions, child rearing practices and lifestyle choices of families. They value children’s different capacities and abilities and
respect differences in families’ home lives. Educators recognize that diversity contributes to the richness of our society and provides a valid evidence base about ways of knowing.
For Australia it also includes promoting greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being.
A Few Words About Us
Four guiding principles should shape practice in early year’s settings. These are:
Unique Child
A child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. Babies and young children mature in every area of development at their own pace and in their own individual ways. Inclusion means that individuals and communities are valued and no child or family is discriminated against. Young children are vulnerable but they are kept safe and develop resilience when their wellbeing is protected by adults. Health and well-being is an integral part of children’s emotional, mental social, environmental and spiritual health.
Positive Relationship
Children’s learning is helped when they feel safe and secure and when their parents and the people in settings they attend work together to ensure that the child’s needs are met. A key person such as in our nursery provides a reassuring link with home so that children can cope with being separated from the special people in their lives. Attachments are the emotional bonds that are made between young children, their parents and nursery such as the Key Person. All of these important people have a special role to play in providing the right kind of environment for children where they will flourish. Environments are not just physical spaces because they are the atmosphere created through warm and caring relationships, where children are respected and valued and their well-being comes before anything else. In these environments children’s voices are listened to and they thrive socially and emotionally.
Enabling Environment
The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning. Enabling environments encourage babies and young children to play because they feel relaxed, comfortable and ‘at home’ in them. When children feel emotionally safe and secure they are able to explore and find out about the place they are in and the things they can see, touch, manoeuvre or manipulate.