Curriculum & Learning Activities 2023-2024 Prospectus It is the aim of the nursery to provide many and varied experiences to help your child develop to the best of their ability, and realise their potential. The nursery is organised to give opportunities for free or guided play, both inside and outdoors. Play is a very important educational activity for children. Through play children can develop creativity, grow in intellect and build relationships with others.

Slide Activities & Curriculum Activities & Curriculum At Purley Day Nursery

Forest School

At Purley Day Nursery, we adopt the forest school approach to support outdoor learning for children aged 3+. The forest school experience offer many benefits to young children , and it encourages development across all areas of the EYFS. We use the Foxley Woodlands near Higher Drive, which is a walking distance from the nursery to experience the benefits of playing and learning outside, which help children in their physical development and emotional well-being. Children use natural materials found in the woodland  to play and learn, rather than using classroom resources and equipment. They enjoy activities such as collecting sticks and leaves, tying knots, handling tools, using twigs to write in the mud, climbing trees jumping across stones and building fires. All activities are risk assessed for suitability.

Taking part in forest school activities help children to develop essential skills through nature based learning. They develop motivation, empathy, self-awareness, social skills, communication, independence, self esteem, confidence, physical skills, including development of both gross and fine motor skills, problem solving, risk taking, knowledge and understanding of the world. The forest school is run all weather. The nursery will provide the water proof jumpsuits, while parents provide wellington boots and gloves. Cost is inclusive in the nursery fees.

 

 

Ballet Class

We organise weekly ballet class for 2-4 year olds through a qualified ballet teacher. Ballet requires memory training and coordination and allow children to explore movement as well as teaching dedication and discipline. Children are able to learn routines, memorise moves through dance and development of their mental strength. Fees are payable direct to the ballet teacher.

 

Music & Sing Along Classes

Through the MOO MUSIC brand delivered by a specialist, children aged 0-4 year olds at Purley Day Nursery benefit from organised music sessions, where they learn to sing, dance, play, listen to music played on the piano, learn and have fun, while engaged in the activities. At the nursery, we appreciate that music is an essential part of every child’s development, and as such we make the sessions interactive, which encourage children to gain confidence and develop memory language and coordination skills in an exciting, enjoyable and multi sensory way. Parents contribute towards the costs of their children attending the MOO MUSIC class, while the sing along class for children of all ages is free.

 

Spanish Lesson

For 3-4 year olds, we organise in house Spanish lessons, where children are taught basic day to day words in Spanish language. These words range from salutations, numbers, alphabets, foods, seasons, clothing, parts of the body. We have noticed that learning and understanding another language also increase their understanding of the English vocabularies. Learning another language help children develop their communications and listening skills, express and understand feelings. Through another language, children at the nursery make sense of experiences and the world around them, with improved social skills, moral development or physical achievement. The lesson is taught by a staff at the nursery.

Slide Montessori Curriculum Montessori Curriculum

Montessorri curriculum covers:

  • Geography: learning about environments, cultures, land and weather patterns.
  • Practical Life Skills: involves practical life exercises to improve coordination and fine motor skills.
  • Mathematics: understanding of shape/size/weight, estimation, numeracy and computers.
  • History: understanding time.
  • Literacy: phonetics/ word building, vocabulary, grammar and story creation.
  • Writing: letter patterns.
  • Science: understanding materials and their properties by way of simple experiment.
  • Biology: learning about oneself and nature.
  • Social skills: learning about manners and good behaviour, caring for oneself and others, the environment and animals.

Creative play involves: art and craft activities, cooking and food from other cultures, understanding colours sound and movement, role-play, music and singing, physical exercise.

Educational play involves: exercises in coordination sorting/pairing, sounds and word building.

Outside play involves: physical exercise, imaginary play and gardening.

 

Slide Outings, Festivals & Birthdays Outings, Festivals & Birthdays

Walks are arranged to the local park, woods and places of attractions, or with facilities to follow up a particular topic and/or provide materials for a seasonal display or work. Permission from parents can be given by signing the permission box of the Admission Form.

Optional outings further afield will be arranged to places of interest during the year at an additional cost which will be advised in advance, with further permission required.

Festivals and Birthdays

Festivals are celebrated to support the children’s learning about other cultures. A small birthday party can be arranged on the date of the child’s birth date (or as close as possible to the date).

 

Slide Discipline Discipline

 

The children will be encouraged at an early age to be polite, well mannered, responsible and caring towards one another and towards their carers. Engendered within a Montessori philosophy is a commitment on the part of the carers to help the child strive for physical and intellectual independence, whilst maintaining a challenging and stimulating environment for the child. Social skills and caring for the environment are as much part of the curriculum as numeracy and literacy.

A child exhibiting frustration can be dealt with by changing their level of work activity. Where a child is causing undue interference or disruption to other children, the carer will help the child to choose another work activity. Where the child persists in their behaviour, the child will be taken to a quiet area of the nursery room and a quieter activity given to act as a calming measure.

Where a child has knowingly been misbehaving, their conduct will be clearly explained and the child will be set apart from the group for a short period of time before they are allowed to re-join in an activity again.

Under no circumstances will a child to be physically punished; and extreme vigilance on the part of the staff will ensure that no talk is subject to taunting, frightening or bullying behaviour from another child.

Please refer to our Behaviour Policy.

Slide “All children make excellent progress and have exceptional personal and social skills,
they share and take turns readily, respect each other and have superb manners.
They concentrate for long periods, showing great enthusiasm for learning”
- Ofsted 2016