Policy & Procedure No.1
1. Millfield Pre-school (MPS) is registered by Ofsted Early Years Directorate and the DfEs to receive the Nursery Education Grant. We plan in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (revised for September 2012) to provide the children attending with opportunities that will support and promote their overall development in a safe, stimulating and caring environment created by trained staff with the involvement of the Committee and the families.
2. Staff ensure that activities and equipment used are appropriate to the children’s age and stage of development and will both stimulate their interest and encourage investigation. Coupled with this is the continued encouragement for children to practice existing skills.
3. Through various types of observation, we are able to monitor children’s development and plan the activities to ensure that they are given the opportunity to consolidate and further develop their skills.
4. Staff ensure that all activities, equipment and displays provide a balanced view of all members of the local community and society in a positive way.
5. Children are encouraged to show their individual creativity without the pressure of producing an adult-directed end product.
6. All children will experience a planned programme of activities and experiences suitable to their stage of development. The play activities provided by the practitioners are an essential element of the programme.
7. Personal, Social and Emotional Development
PSE on the planning sheets
a. Children are encouraged to mix with others to enable them to make friends with other children at MPS and the practitioners. All children are encouraged to practice the skills of sharing, caring, helping, working together, solving problems and taking responsibility for the environment and themselves. The children are encouraged to concentrate on individual tasks and to ask for help when needed.
8. Communication and Language
CL on the planning sheets
a. Each child will be given opportunities to talk about their experiences and to listen to others. The practitioners will encourage the children to express their own ideas.
b. Staff will read stories, rhymes, poems and songs and encourage the children to join in. Books are always available to the children. Materials for writing and making marks are available at all times.
9. Mathematics
M on the planning sheets
a. The practitioners will provide the children with activities that will encourage them to match, sort, sequence, count and order everyday objects which form the basis of an understanding of mathematics.
b. Throughout the session, children will hear examples of the language of mathematics, e.g. shape, size, number sequences.
c. Staff also use rhymes to help children learn number sequences.
10. Expressive Arts and Design
EAD on the planning sheets
a. Creative activities will always be available. These activities include paint, crayons, pencils, gluing, collage, model making materials, that are man-made and natural.
b. Staff give the children opportunities to respond to music and recognise artistic works.
c. The children are given a variety of opportunities for imaginative play, both individually and with others.
11. Understanding the World
UW on the planning sheets
a. Staff encourage the children to explore and experiment with natural and man-made materials. Staff encourage the children to compare and identify the features of different objects, recognise similarities and differences and talk about their discoveries with their friends and adults.
22. Physical Development
PD on the planning sheets
a. Staff give the children opportunities to develop, master and practice the skills of running, jumping, balancing, movement, climbing, etc, both indoors and outdoors, ensuring that at all times the children are closely supervised by the adequate number of practitioners.
b. The children are also given opportunities to develop their fine motor skills by experimenting with different tools and learning safe techniques.