The curriculum the Pre-school child follows is planned to the Early Learning Goals. The six topics the children follow each year are set out below. The topics are in a two-year cycle as some of our children spend more than three terms with us.

Cycle 1

• Me and my family
• Fairy tales and celebrations
• Looking for colour
• Looking for signs of Spring
• On the move
• Our Village

Cycle 2

• Me and my school
• Nursery rhymes and celebrations
• Patterns and shape
• People we love
• In the garden
• The bus ride

There are six areas of learning that cover all the Early Learning Goals, these are as follows:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Successful personal, social and emotional development is critical for very young children in all aspects of their lives and gives them the best opportunity for success in all other areas of learning. It is crucial that settings provide the experiences and support to enable children to develop a positive sense of themselves (QCA 2000)

Communication, Language and Literacy

Communication, language and literacy depend on learning and being competent in a number of key skills, together with having the confidence, opportunity, encouragement, support and disposition to use them. This area of learning includes communication, speaking and listening in difference situations and for different purposes, being read a wide range of books and reading simple texts and writing for a variety of purposes (QCA 2000)

Mathematical Development

Mathematical development depends on becoming confident and competent in learning and using key skills. This area of learning includes counting, sorting, matching, seeking patterns, making connections, recognising relationships and working with numbers, shapes space and measures. Mathematical understanding should be developed through stories, songs, games and imaginative play so that children enjoy using and experimenting with numbers including numbers larger than 10 (QCA 2000)

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

In this area of learning, children are developing the crucial knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world. This forms the foundation for later work in Science, Design and Technology, History, Geography and Information and Communication Technology. (ICT) (QCA 2000)

Physical Development

Physical development in the foundation stage is about improving skills of co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement. Physical development has two other very important aspects. It helps children gain confidence in what they can do and enables them to feel the positive benefits of being healthy and active. Effective physical development helps children develop a positive sense of well being. (QCA 2000)

Creative Development

Creativity is fundamental to successful learning. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extend their understanding. This area of learning includes art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play. (QCA 2000)