Learning and Development
Here at Little Angels we follow the 'Early Years Foundation Stage,' setting the standards for care, learning and development for children aged 0 - 5 years.
Highly qualified practitioners provide a stimulating programme of activities which enhance all our children's learning experiences, these include adult led and child initiated activities allowing them to become motivated learners and independent thinkers.
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Our provision reflects The Prime Areas (Personal, Social and Emotional, Communication and Language and Physical Development) and Specific Areas (Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design), enabling the Unique Child to experience the world around them and interact with others to build Positive Relationships in an Enabling Environment facilitating the learning and development of each child.
Staff at Little Angels are continually reviewing and adapting training, practices and procedures to keep up-to-date with current practices.
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Personal, Social & Emotional Development is a crucial part of a child's life: we aim to provide an environment that supports your child to develop a positive sense of self. Promoting their ability to get on, work and make friendships with other people, both children and adults.
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Communication and Language is encouraged through all activities provided in pre-school session. Conversations with one person or small and large groups develop their vocabulary. Learning the meaning of and using new words. Listening and joining in with songs and stories.
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Literacy is encouraged in all activities including the use of the pre-school library. Reading and sharing a wide range of books gives opportunities for effective development and learning skills within this area. Mark making activities along with fine motor skill tasks give children the basic skills for writing.
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Mathematics is encouraged by counting, sorting, matching, pattern making, and working with numbers, shapes, space and measurements. Mathematical development is taught through stories, songs, games and role-play. Helping children to understand that numbers help us to answer questions about how many, how much, how far, how big.
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Understanding the World learning takes place while the children explore, experiment and experience inside and outside of the setting. Your child will also be given opportunities to celebrate some festivals and cultures and observe their natural enviroment including our vegetable patch.
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Expressive Arts and Design includes art, music and dance, role-play and imaginative play, large and small construction and design, enabling your child to express themselves freely.
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Physical Development your child will be given opportunities to explore the environment . Activities encourage confidence and self-esteem whilst developing children's gross and fine motor skills, they will also learn how to care for themselves taking care of personal hygiene such as hand washing, toileting and dressing.
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The Characteristics of Effective Learning and the prime and specific Areas of Learning and Development are all interconnected. The ways in which the child engages with other people and their environment - playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically - underpin learning and development across all areas and support the child. The characteristics of effective learning includes:
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Playing and Exploring - engagement - finding out and exploring, playing with what they know, being willing to 'have a go'
Active learning - motivation - Being involved and concentrating, to keep trying, enjoying achieving what they set out to do to remain an effective and motivated learner.
Creating and thinking critically - thinking - Having their own ideas, making links, choosing ways to do things.
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Key Workers
All the children who attend pre-school are allocated a key worker. This member of staff ensures that your child's progress is monitored and all records are kept up to date. Parent/carers have access to their own child's records at any time and parent consultations are held each term.
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Children at Work
It is important that children learn for themselves, at their own pace, we support and encourage them to explore and learn using different materials and variety of resources. They may get messy so we advise children are dressed in non-special but comfortable clothes making sure fastenings are simple as confidence comes from being able to do things for yourself.
Some parents may dismiss Pre-school as "just Play" they want to see their children learn in a more formal way. Our staff plan the activities carefully to offer good learning & experience opportunities, much of our playing involves pre-literacy and numeracy skills. Planning is around the Early Years Foundation Stage.
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Your Child's Progress
Your child will have an individual record on our babys days system showing their journey through pre-school. Your child's profile is available for you to view at any time using your unique login online or on the app. 'Babys days' provides opportunities to share information about your child's learning developments and next steps.