Our approach to teaching in Early Years
Our ethos is to provide an environment where all children, regardless of their starting point when joining Uplands Infant & Nursery School, are given the opportunity to
- Be Nurtured
- We have a Positive Behaviour Policy based on our School Rules, Be Kind, Be Safe, Be Respectful that we expect all children to follow and our staff to model. This way we can create a safe, stable environment that enables all children to feel valued. We will provide security through daily routines, visual timetables and clear, consistent expectations.
- We will foster a positive relationship with your child, through responsive, warm interactions and wellbeing check ins.
- Be Empowered
- We will create Indoor/Outdoor Provision that provides opportunities for children to develop their independence and the characteristics of effective learning (Playing & Exploring, Active learning, Creating & Thinking Critically) which will support their lifelong learning.
- Flourish
- We will provide opportunities within our Curriculum and school life to develop children’s Cultural Capital, for example through visits, visitors, after school clubs, Assemblies.
- Through developing nurturing relationships with your child and the continued professional development of our staff we can identify and understand both your child ‘s strengths and next steps in development.
- We use current child development research to develop our progressive curriculum.
Parental/Carers engagement
We value the role of the family as the ‘first educator’s’ of children and the unique insights that parents/carers offer into children’s needs and strengths. To support children’s ongoing developmental, we aim to foster professional, supportive and collaborative relationships with families through warm welcomes, informal discussions, parent/carer meetings and an open-door policy. Half Termly Newsletters are provided in Nursery and Reception to inform parents/carers of what is being taught over the half term.
How we teach in Early Years
We believe that children learn best through rich, meaningful play experiences that reflect their interests and spark curiosity. Our Curriculum and environments are carefully planned to promote exploration, independence, problem-solving, and creativity. Children are encouraged to take the lead in their learning, while our skilled staff sensitively support, extend, and scaffold their development.
The Early Years curriculum has been developed in line with the Education Programmes outlined in the Early Years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework and the non-statutory Development Matters. Using our understanding of child development and local area we tailor our provision to meet the individual developmental needs of each child.
Our curriculum focusses on the following areas listed below:
- Prime Areas
- Communication & Language
- Personal, Social and Emotional
- Physical Development
- Specific Areas
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts & Design
- Characteristics of Effective Learning (Playing & Exploring, Active learning, Creating & Thinking Critically)
Our EYFS Curriculum has been designed to support the development of children’s foundational skills. The link between our EYFS curriculum and Key Stage 1 curriculum is clearly outlined in the progression overviews.
Our curriculum is taught in the following ways
- Child-led PLAY through both our indoor & outdoor provision. Play is an essential part of how children learn and one of the most effective ways that children learn. It provides a fantastic opportunity for them to explore and develop
- the effective characteristics of learning
- communication, social and physical development skills
- Whole class teacher led- direct teach sessions teach the formal aspects of your child’s education as they progress throughout their Early Years education – for example, phonics, handwriting, reading, writing, maths, Understanding of the World, Art, Design & Technology, Music and PE
- In Reception and Nursery, teacher-led small group work provides additional support where required, for example, phonics, developing fine motor skills
- Local area walks, trips and visitors
Early Years Progression Understanding the World
Assessment in Early Years
Ongoing teacher judgement based on what we see in class and feedback from parents and carers is used to help teachers assess children’s ongoing progress. We also complete the following:
- Along with a child’s parents we complete a Two-Year Progress check, where applicable, covering the Prime Areas of Learning.
- The Government Reception Baseline Assessment is completed within the first 6 weeks of a child starting Reception.
- At the end of Reception your child will be assessed as either working at or towards the Early Learning Goals.
Children in Pre-Nursery (2-3year olds) will be invited to attend 1 Parent Meeting, children in Nursery and Reception, will be invited to 2 Parent Meetings throughout the school year. The Class Teacher will provide you with an update on how well your child has settled in and their progress. Informal discussion is encouraged – we are here to work with you for the best support for your child. At the end of the Summer Term a Report is provided to parents, outlining the child’ s progress.
In Class learning 2025-2026
Prime Areas
The Nursery children are learning to move in different ways. They develop strong muscles by pulling, pushing, balancing, swinging and climbing. Children are encouraged to be independent and this leads to confidence in making new choices and practicing learnt skills. They have big smiles on their faces when they achieve this.
Nursery children have been developing their fine motor skills by using playdough tools, scissors, paintbrushes, and pencils with increasing control.
They have also been learning to thread beads, turn pages one at a time in books, and join construction materials together, demonstrating strong manipulation skills and improved control.
–
.
Understanding the World
Our Little Ducklings have been true little scientists, exploring a variety of materials using their senses—eyes, hands, and ears—through water play, sand play, and messy play experiences such as shaving foam.
They investigated wet sand and discovered how it can be moulded to create sandcastles. They also explored making bubbles in water, developing curiosity and delight as they observed the effects when the bubbles popped.
Our Little Ducklings have been true little scientists, exploring a variety of materials using their senses—eyes, hands, and ears—through water play, sand play, and messy play experiences such as shaving foam.
They investigated wet sand and discovered how it can be moulded to create sandcastles. They also explored making bubbles in water, developing curiosity and delight as they observed the effects when the bubbles popped.
The Little Ducklings have been exploring the natural outdoor environment, developing curiosity about the world around them. They have been observing fallen leaves and plants in our school garden, as well as discovering old vegetables in our vegetable patch.
Our curious and enthusiastic 2‑year‑olds had a wonderful time celebrating Pancake Day this week. The children were fully involved in the pancake‑making process—helping to mix the ingredients, watching the batter being poured.
This hands‑on experience encouraged early language development, turn‑taking, and sensory exploration as they felt, smelled, and talked about the ingredients.
The highlight of the activity was, of course, enjoying their delicious pancakes! The children were excited to choose their toppings and proudly tasted the pancakes they helped create. It was a joyful learning experience that supported independence, confidence, and early life skills.
The nursery children have been developing an understanding of how people celebrate different festivals and celebrations. They have shown great respect for others and have enjoyed taking part in some of the wonderful traditions associated with Christmas celebrations.
The nursery children enjoyed exploring the snow and ice, using their senses to feel how cold and slippery it was. They showed curiosity, enjoyment, and a love for the natural world as they took risks while moving around the playground. They also noticed that the water in the buckets had frozen into ice because it was so cold.
Through touching, collecting, and observing autumn leaves, nursery children explored changes in the natural environment and developed an understanding of seasonal changes. The children showed excitement, curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning as they discovered the colours, textures, and signs of autumn.
The nursery children have been developing an understanding of how people celebrate different festivals and celebrations. They have shown great respect for others and have enjoyed taking part in some of the wonderful traditions associated with Easter celebrations.
The nursery children enjoyed exploring the outdoors during a spring walk, using their senses to observe the changes in the environment. They noticed signs of spring such as flowers beginning to grow, budding trees, and warmer weather. The children felt the different textures around them, including grass, leaves, and soil, and listened to the sounds of birds and nature. They showed curiosity, enjoyment, and a growing appreciation for the natural world as they confidently moved around and explored their surroundings.
.
Expressive Art & Design
Little Ducklings have been exploring the sounds of musical instruments.
.
Literacy
Ducklings have shown a positive attitude towards mark making, exploring it in a range of contexts such as sand play, using pencils, and through various messy play activities.
Ducklings have shown a great interest in sharing books with both their peers and adults. They are beginning to listen attentively to stories and are starting to notice details within the pictures.
In the nursery our children have been mark making by using different methods and tools to explore and help strengthen their fine motor skills.
Reading in Nursery
We love to read in the Nursery. Here are a selection of photographs showing children reading in different situations. The children enjoy choosing their favourite books and returning to familiar stories. They use their knowledge of story language to retell them alone and in small groups. They comment on the pictures, turn pages in order and talk about what they notice.
The children have many opportunities to listen and respond to adults reading where they are encouraged to join in with words and actions, changing voices for different characters and reading with expression. Here in Nursery we begin the daily habit of reading that we all look forward to. Stories come alive and children begin to understand the joy that reading brings.
Reading outside in the cosy reading shed. A shared experience and an exciting book that holds the children’s interests and develops their imagination.
Stories used in play, children listening to each other, retelling the story and the magic of listening to a story while colouring or drawing- sharing experiences and a sense of togetherness.
Stories in the home corner. More shared experiences and the comfort of a wonderful story reheard often. Children join in with enthusiasm changing their voices to match different story characters.
Reading to the soft toys. Taking time to choose just the right book to read. Side by side absorbed in a favourite story.
Sharing a familiar story and role playing too. Showing that they are beginning to understand how books work by mimicking the book reading from teacher led sessions they look at the front cover together, turn the pages in order and retell the story together. The children became the animals as they were read to- sound effects and all- picture 3 shows them being the hissing snakes and later, the children ran away quickly when the crocodile was snapping at them in this retelling of Where’s Spot? What a wonderful shared experience!
–
.
Maths
Little Ducklings have been developing their early mathematical skills by completing simple inset puzzles, carefully looking at the shape and picture on each piece to insert it correctly.
They have also been learning to combine blocks together showing shape and space awareness.
Little Ducklings are learning to match and sort items in the classroom, putting resources back in the correct places during tidy‑up time.
Nursery children have been developing their counting skills through stories, rhymes, and songs. They enjoy chanting numbers in order and are learning to give one number name to each object as they count. Children are also beginning to recognise numerals up to 5.
Through building with construction toys, children have been exploring height and length. They have noticed that adding more blocks makes their towers taller or longer and are beginning to compare their creations, recognising when towers are the same height or length.
Nursery children have been noticing patterns in their environment and describing them using everyday language. They have used drawing and artwork to create their own patterned pictures using their physical skills.
.
Useful Websites
