THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EARLY YEARS

At Sunny Hill Nursery we acknowledge that every child is unique.  All children deserve a safe, diverse and inspiring nursery experience. We know that in the first 5 years of life, the experiences and relationships children have stimulates their development. The brain develops faster in the first 5 years than at any other time in life.  Our aim is to ensure children develop by learning through play, with the support of  knowledgeable and caring adults in a secure rural environment. 

Children aged 0-5 years follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2021 (DfE). This document specifies the requirements for young children's learning and development as well as safeguarding and promoting their welfare.

At Sunny Hill Nursery, our practise is guided by the following principles:

What a child learns

The Prime Areas of Learning and Development are:

Personal Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

Physical Development (PD)

Communication and Language (CL)

These are developed first when in a safe and enabling environment. These three areas are fundamental to the more specific areas of learning:

Literacy (L)

Numeracy (N)

Understanding the World (UTW)

Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)

How children learn

 The Characteristics of Effective Learning describe behaviours children use in order to learn and develop. Effective learning must be meaningful so a child can use what they have learned and apply it to other experiences. Children need to be curious and enthusaistic. 

Learning through play

For children in the early years, play is an important factor from which all learning experiences are based. Children can develop strong habits and behaviours which support them to discover, create an solve problems.

Through play, children explore experiences in different situations. Play helps increase their knowledge and understanding of mathmatical and linguistic concepts. Listening and speaking are fundamental to a child's learning and at Sunny Hill we ensure we always pause to listen and give a child time to speak. Children are encouraged to listen to stories, respond to questions and listen to their peers.

Children have access to outdoor play areas every day for play, bikes, climbing and balancing, and wellie walks as well as forest school sessions.

Your child's Key Person

In accordance to the EYFS each child is allocated a key person. Their role is to ensure that your child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs, to help the child become familiar with the setting and to build a relationship with the family. At Sunny Hill all staff know all children. If your child's key person is not available any of the staff here will be familiar with your child's needs.