Foundation Stage
Our combined Nursery and Reception classroom provides a warm, inclusive, and stimulating environment where children aged 3 to 5 learn and grow together. By bringing the two year groups into one space, we encourage collaboration, curiosity, and independence, while also ensuring that each child’s individual developmental needs are met. Through play based learning, structured activities, and daily routines, children build strong foundations in early literacy, numeracy, and social skills. This setting nurtures confidence and creativity, helping every child make a smooth transition through the Early Years and beyond.
In our combined Nursery and Reception provision, we use Development Matters as a key guidance document to support high-quality teaching and learning across the Early Years Foundation Stage. It provides a clear progression framework, outlining typical pathways of child development from birth to five, while recognising that every child’s journey is unique.
We use Development Matters to:
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Support assessment and planning – observations are linked to the guidance, enabling practitioners to identify strengths, monitor progress, and plan next steps that are ambitious yet achievable.
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Ensure breadth and balance – activities and routines are planned to cover all seven areas of learning and development, with a particular emphasis on the Prime Areas as the foundation for future success.
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Promote inclusive practice – the guidance helps us to adapt provision, ensuring that learning opportunities are accessible, challenging, and responsive to individual needs and interests.
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Strengthen parental partnerships – progress and next steps are shared with families in a clear and meaningful way, fostering continuity of learning between home and school.
Nursery Phonics - Listening games
