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§  provide high quality care and education for children in a safe and stimulating environment;

§  work in partnership with parents to help children to learn and develop;

§  add to the life and well-being of the local community; and

§  offer children and their parents a service that promotes equality and values diversity.

We also aim to ensure that each child:

§  is in a safe and secure environment;

§  is given generous care and attention, because of our ratio of qualified staff to children, as well as volunteer parent helpers;

§  has the chance to join with other children and adults to play, work and learn together;

§  is helped to take forward her/his learning and development by being helped to build on what she/he already knows and can do;

§  has a personal key person who makes sure each child makes satisfying progress;

§  is in a setting that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop; and

§  is in a setting in which parents help to shape the service it offers.

Parents:

Parents are regarded as members of our setting who have full participatory rights. These include a right to be:

§   valued and respected;

§   kept informed;

§   consulted;

§   involved; and

§   included at all levels.

As a community based, voluntary managed setting, with charity status we also depend on the good will of parents and their involvement to continue running. Membership of the setting carries expectations on parents for their support and commitment.

Children's development and learning

The provision for children's development and learning is guided by The Early Years Foundation Stage. Our provision reflects the four key themes and 16 commitments of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

How we provide for development and learning

Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.

For each area, the practice guidance sets out the ‘Early Learning Goals’. These goals state what it is expected that children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.

The practice guidance also sets out in, ‘Development Matters’, the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the early learning goals. Our setting has regard for these matters when we assess children and plan for the next steps in their learning. We are committed to putting children at the centre of all we do; we plan activities and experiences, based upon children’s individual current interests and needs. We promote the ethos of, ‘learning through play’, in an indoor and outdoor environment.
 

Our approach to learning and development and assessment

Learning through play

Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to think.  Our setting uses the, ‘Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage’, to plan and provide a range of play activities which help children to make progress in each of the areas of learning and development. In some of these activities children take the lead and decide how they will use the activity and, in others, an adult sensitively directs and helps the children to take part in the activity. In all activities information from the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage, along with observations of children’s interests, development and learning needs are used to decide what equipment to provide and how to provide it in order to be a suitable and appropriate learning experience for all the children involved.

Learning Journey

The setting keeps a learning journey for each child. Staff and parents working together on their children's learning journey is one of the ways in which the key person and parents work in partnership. Your child's learning journey helps us to celebrate together her/his achievements and to work together to provide what your child needs for her/his well-being and to make progress.

Your child's key person will work with you to keep this record. To do this you and she/he will collect information about your child's needs, activities, interests and achievements. This information will enable the key person to identify your child's stage of progress, keeping the child’s interests at the centre of all planning. You and the key person will then decide on how to help your child to move on to the next stage.

Working together for your children

In our setting we maintain the ratio of adults to children in the setting that is set through the Welfare Requirements. We also have volunteer parent helpers, where possible, to complement these ratios. This helps us to: give time and attention to each child; talk with the children about their interests and activities; help children to experience and benefit from the activities we provide; and allow the children to explore and be adventurous in safety.

How parents take part in the setting

Our setting recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children.  All of the staff see themselves as partners with parents in providing care and education for their child. There are many ways in which parents take part in making the setting a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:

§  exchanging knowledge about their children's needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff and in their child’s learning profile;

§  helping at sessions of the setting;

§  sharing their own special interests with the children;

§  helping to provide, make and look after the equipment and materials used in the children's play activities;