Early Years at Zouch Academy & Nursery
Our Early Years Curriculum
At Zouch Academy & Nursery, we believe that the Early Years are an incredibly important part of every child's education. Our Early Years provision includes our Nursery (FS1) and Reception classes (FS2).
We want every child to have the very best start to their learning journey. Our aim is for children to feel happy, safe, confident and excited to learn from the moment they join the Zouch family.
At Zouch, children are at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that every child arrives with their own experiences, interests, strengths and things they are curious about. We use these starting points to plan exciting learning opportunities that help children to grow socially, emotionally, physically and academically.
Our school values are woven throughout everyday life in Early Years. We help children to develop important qualities such as kindness, friendship, honesty, cooperation, independence and responsibility, providing strong foundations for their future learning at Zouch and beyond.
What Will Your Child Learn?
The Early Years curriculum is made up of seven areas of learning. Children develop skills across all of these areas through a mixture of adult-led teaching and purposeful play.
The seven areas are:
Communication and Language
Children learn to listen carefully, understand what they hear, learn new vocabulary and become confident when talking to others.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children learn to understand their feelings, build relationships, become more independent and develop confidence and resilience.
Physical Development
Children develop their large and small movements through activities such as climbing, running, balancing, drawing, cutting and writing.
Literacy
Children develop a love of stories, books and rhymes and begin learning the skills they need to become confident readers and writers.
Mathematics
Children develop a strong understanding of numbers, patterns, shape and measures through practical activities, games and everyday experiences.
Understanding the World
Children explore the natural world, learn about different people, communities and cultures and begin to understand the world around them.
Expressive Arts and Design
Children are encouraged to be creative through art, music, movement, role play, construction and imaginative play.
How Do Children Learn at Zouch?
Young children learn best when they are active, interested and having fun.
At Zouch, our Early Years curriculum is therefore practical, playful and carefully planned. We provide children with an "invitation to learn", creating exciting opportunities that encourage them to investigate, explore, talk, create, practise and problem-solve.
Our Early Years team teaches children:
- Individually
- In small groups
- As a whole class
- Through carefully planned play
- Through our indoor and outdoor learning environments.
Our classrooms and outdoor areas are organised so that children can make independent choices about their learning. Resources are easy for children to access, encouraging them to explore, create, investigate and solve problems for themselves.
Adults support and extend children's play by talking to them, introducing new vocabulary, asking questions and helping them to think more deeply about what they are doing.
Learning is carefully planned so that children's knowledge and skills build throughout Nursery and Reception, preparing them for their next stage of learning at Zouch.
Communication and Language at Zouch
Talking is at the heart of our Early Years curriculum.
We want every child at Zouch to become a confident communicator. Our classrooms are language-rich environments where adults model good communication, introduce children to new and ambitious vocabulary and give children plenty of opportunities to talk.
We encourage children to:
- Talk about their ideas and experiences
- Listen and respond to others
- Learn and use new words
- Retell familiar stories
- Sing songs and nursery rhymes
- Ask and answer questions
- Talk about their learning
Developing children's vocabulary and communication is a key part of Zouch's wider curriculum approach.
Reading and Phonics
Learning to read is one of the most important things your child will learn to do.
We encourage children to develop a love of books and reading from the very beginning. Sharing stories, talking about books, singing nursery rhymes and enjoying stories together all help children to become confident readers.
Supporting Phonics at Home
The Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised parent page has videos showing parents how sounds are taught, how to pronounce the sounds correctly and how children learn to read at school.
One of the best things you can do at home is simply share a book together every day. Talk about the pictures, wonder what might happen next and enjoy the story. Your child does not need to be able to read every book themselves. Reading to your child is hugely valuable too. Little Wandle specifically recommends enjoying children's sharing books together to help build a lifelong enjoyment of reading.
Working Together with Families
You know your child best, and we really value your involvement in their learning.
At Zouch, we believe that a strong partnership between home and school helps children to thrive.
We use Tapestry, our online learning journey, to share your child's learning and achievements with you. Parents and carers can also contribute by sharing special moments, achievements and experiences from home.
Please talk to us if you have any questions or concerns about your child's learning or development. Zouch operates an open-door approach and encourages families to speak to school about their child's progress.
If your child needs some additional help, we will work sensitively with you to identify the right support. Where appropriate, this may include working alongside other professionals or services.
How Do We Know How My Child Is Doing?
Our Early Years staff get to know children extremely well.
Rather than children sitting formal tests, much of our assessment comes from what we see and hear while children are playing, talking, exploring and learning.
We use:
- Our knowledge of each individual child
- Observations of children during their everyday learning
- Conversations with children
- Children's work and achievements
- Information shared by parents and carers
- Ongoing assessments during teaching.
We use this information to understand what your child can already do and decide what they need to learn next.
If we identify an area where your child may need some extra help, we will provide support and work with you to help them make progress.
Reception Baseline Assessment:
During your child's first six weeks in Reception, they will complete the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA).
This is completed in school with an adult and helps provide a starting point for children's learning.
Early Learning Goals:
Towards the end of Reception, teachers consider each child's learning and development across the seven areas of the Early Years curriculum.
The Early Learning Goals (ELGs) describe the level of development children are expected to have reached by the end of Reception.
Teachers use everything they know about your child from working and playing alongside them throughout the year to make their final assessments.
Phonics Assessment:
In Reception, children are assessed in phonics at the end of every term. These assessments help us to see which sounds and early reading skills your child is confident with and identify any areas where they may need some extra practice or support.
We use this information to plan the next steps in your child's phonics learning and to make sure that teaching is matched to their needs. If your child needs some additional support, this can be put in place quickly to help them keep progressing.
All of our assessments help us to understand what your child already knows, what they can do and what they need to learn next.
How Can I Help My Child at Home?
You do not need to recreate school at home. Some of the most valuable learning happens through simple everyday activities together.
Try:
- Reading together every day, even for 5 or 10 minutes.
- Talking together about what you are doing, what you can see and what your child is interested in.
- Singing nursery rhymes and songs together.
- Spotting numbers when you are out and about, such as house numbers, bus numbers and prices.
- Counting everyday objects such as apples, steps, toys or socks.
- Playing games involving counting, matching and taking turns.
- Drawing and making marks, including pictures, shopping lists, birthday cards or labels.
- Exploring outdoors and talking about plants, animals, weather and the changing seasons.
- Encouraging independence by letting your child practise dressing themselves, putting on their coat, tidying their belongings and using a knife and fork.
- Most importantly, talk, play, read and have fun together.
Useful Websites for Zouch Families
This is particularly useful for supporting phonics and early reading. There are videos demonstrating how children are taught sounds at school, as well as advice about reading books at home.
A brilliant free resource for families with young children. It includes simple activities, songs, rhymes and advice to support children's talking, listening, language and development, including ideas specifically for children aged 3 to 5. BBC Tiny Happy People also has a collection of nursery rhymes and songs that families can enjoy together.
Find out more about the wider curriculum and values that underpin learning throughout Zouch Academy.
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