Actively Engaged to Explore, Discover and Grow

Curriculum Statement

Our curriculum is centred around all the documentation for C4W including the Enabling Pathways document, which highlights the need for a focus on the quality and impact of the interplay between the three key enablers to inspire and challenge children and young people in their learning. All three have equal importance in ensuring the best possible start for the children in our care:

• Enabling Adults
• Enabling Experiences
• Enabling Environment

We fully support the premise that “effective, learner-centred pedagogy, which is responsive, dynamic and embedded in strong relationships, is key to realising the Curriculum for Wales”, and that “pedagogy will be successful, and learners supported in their progression, when the enablers provide consistent opportunities for the following key features”:

• Play and Playful Learning
• Being Outdoors
• Observation
• Authentic and purposeful learning

Although we are mindful of Welsh Government and the National Mission, our curriculum is in response to the vision and aims we have for our children:

Vision:

At Newport Nursery School all children will be nurtured to become creative, independent and resilient lifelong learners who are valued as individuals.  Our purposeful, bespoke environment enables each child to explore and discover through their interests and through new experiences. Skilful, sensitive interactions facilitate them to become confident, healthy and happy members of our community.

We aim to achieve this through our ability to:

• Celebrate their individuality whilst respecting the needs of others as a member of a diverse society, ensuring they develop as responsible and ethically informed citizens
• Facilitate a stimulating environment that prepares children to seek and enjoy challenge in their learning and equips them with lifelong skills for the next stage of their learning journey
• Foster a love of learning and give children opportunity to connect with and apply their knowledge and skills
• Ensure that all children develop holistically through a broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum which encourages creativity and a sense of enquiry and exploration
• Develop learners who can think creatively and grasp opportunities to solve problems and question to achieve success
• Engage children through meaningful, experiential opportunities to become ambitious, capable learners
• Create relevant and meaningful learning opportunities that enable children to discover, develop and explore cross curricula connections in their learning.
• Acknowledge and celebrate the role of families and the wider community in a spirit of partnership within the school, society and the world
• Enable facilitators through appropriate, collaborative and supportive professional learning to ensure teaching, learning, wellbeing and overall provision are of the highest quality

Planning at Newport Nursery School

The curriculum within our setting is enriched with a wealth of experiential activities with the children’s previous experiences as a starting point.

These experiences, which the children are encouraged to share, are used as a springboard for learning that combines appropriate knowledge and skills as outlined in Curriculum for Wales documentation and the skills frameworks for Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competence.

Learning is based around “Wow words” which can be extended or reduced depending on interest and engagement.  Each “word” starts with a visual hook from which a thought shower is produced that outlines children’s prior knowledge and experiences as well as a series of “I wonder” statements or questions that reflect how the children would like to shape their learning.  The skills of the adults are then used to ensure these interests are supported by the required curriculum content and skills to ensure a broad, balanced, engaging curriculum is available to all the children.

Typically, each “word” will have a: Thought Shower or Mind Map (completed with the children); Action Planning (again completed with the children); Focused Activities and Enhanced Provision informed by observations and then planned by the adults to ensure coverage and parity; further reflection and additions to original thought showers/action planning based on what the children now know are added as appropriate.  These are supported by In the Moment sheets which capture where learning is extended or broadened as a result of timely responses to observed experiences.

Skills are tracked to confirm coverage and inform assessment alongside observations and evaluations of circle times, focused activities, enhanced and continuous provision. The Foundation Phase Profile (supported by P levels where appropriate) is used to provide a baseline for all children within the first six weeks.  This is regularly updated using an electronic tracking tool to ensure all children achieve their potential.  This also helps to identify children who require additional support to enable them to access the curriculum, as well as children who are engaging with learning at above expected level.  It is our mission to ensure all children are actively engaged in learning. Staff are currently working to ensure assessment going forward is reflective of current guidance, curriculum and needs of the child.

Children who require a more differentiated approach will benefit from the above where appropriate or a blend of the above with the more structured activities provided as part of an individually devised learning plan which may incorporate Bucket time, Curiosity Programme, Intensive Interaction, TEEACH, Sensory provision, Work Station activities, supported by nonverbal communication if necessary.

Note:

Our Schemes of Skills and What Matters coverage tracker are to support the adults in ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum, however it is important to stress these are tools and cannot replace the experience of the adults when responding to the needs and interests of the learners on a day to day basis.