LEARN WITH US

Children’s past experiences, home settings, the local area, community cultures and languages, children’s needs, parents’ needs, and children’s interests have led us to teach and offer what we do. These factors help us to identify what is unique to your children and where the curriculum can add to and extend their learning best. The skills, experience, and knowledge we hope children will be leaving our setting with are displayed on our emblem as well as written on our tree within the setting. We believe that with these skills, they have the best opportunity to successfully navigate their next steps in their life journey.

Another large aim we have as a setting is improving children’s language and communication outcomes. Language and communication are important for children’s abilities to explore the world around them and communicate their wants, needs and points of view with others. Language enables them to access provision and make the most of their time in the early years. Therefore, planning for and considering language development is an essential part of developing an effective curriculum. Our team accesses training to enrich our skills in supporting children in this area.

By being ambitious, we are setting high expectations for children. It is vital to be ambitious for all children and to help make the setting and curriculum inclusive so that every child can do their best. Research shows that the expectations practitioners have of children can strongly impact their outcomes. If you think a child will do well, they often meet that expectation—and the same for negative expectations. This is why it is vital to remain ambitious in our expectations and goals for children, despite any challenges they or their families may face.

It is important to remain flexible and reflective. Although we consider what we want children to learn, it is equally important to remain flexible about how to achieve these goals. Children’s interests are not always orderly and often arise in unplanned ways. We use their interests as motivation to learn. This may change the course of our plans for a day, week, or month, so it is crucial to remain open when making plans.

We use the Birth to Five Matters guidance to set each child’s learning goals after observation within each of the seven areas of learning. We create enabling environments and use both child-led and adult-led activities to help children reach their targets.

Being reflective on our practice is key in curriculum planning and development. We view it as a working project that adapts and evolves as we get to know our children. Understanding child development is essential in planning and adapting a high-quality curriculum.

We are a faith-based childcare provision founded on faith, hope, and love, as stated in our emblem. We are an inclusive setting. Please allow us to explain what this means for you and your child(ren):

Our staff are committed to the following:

·       To care and respect each other and the children.

·       To encourage each other as colleagues and as a team working to the same vision and purpose.

·       To always be honest and occasions, any disputes are solved privately and fairly in the same day if possible.

·       To display and encourage the children in the following qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

·       To give thanks for and to one another and appreciate each other.

·       To be examples of good moral standards to the children.

·       To prefer others before themselves.

·       To lead by example not only in the setting but in their private lives.

·       Not to force religion upon any child but to enable them with knowledge and choice.

·       Encouraging the children to share and appreciate the world and people around them.

·       Encouraging the children to respect their parents and others.

·       Encouraging the children to celebrate success and progress at their own pace.

We understand how important every child is and aim to deliver the highest quality of care and education to help them achieve their best.

This curriculum aims to provide you with an introduction to Sweet Hearts Childcare: our routines, our approach to supporting your child’s learning and development, and how we work together with you to meet your child’s individual needs. This should be read alongside our Childcare Terms and Conditions for a full description of our services.

Our setting aims to:

·       Provide high-quality care and education for children.

·       Work in partnership with parents to help children learn and develop.

·       Add to the life and well-being of the local community.

·       Offer children and their parents a service that promotes equality and values diversity.

Parents are regarded as members of our setting with full participatory rights.

These include the right to be:

·       Valued and respected.

·       Kept informed.

·       Consulted.

·       Involved.

·       Included at all levels.

Children’s development and learning We aim to ensure that each child:

·       Is in a safe and stimulating environment.

·       Is given generous care and attention because of our ratio of qualified staff to children, as well as volunteer helpers.

·       Has the chance to join in with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together.

·       Is helped to take forward their learning and development by building on what they already know and can do.

·       Has a personal key person to build a strong relationship with.

·       Is in a setting that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop.

·       Is in a setting where parents help shape the service it offers.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Provision for the development and learning of children from birth to 5 years is guided by the EYFS. Our provision reflects the four overarching principles:

·       A Unique Child

·       Positive Relationships

·       Enabling Environments

·       Learning and Development

We provide for development and learning in: 

Prime Areas:

·       Personal, Social and Emotional Development

·       Physical Development

·       Communication and Language

Specific Areas:

·       Literacy

·       Mathematics

·       Understanding the World

·       Expressive Arts and Design

Learning through play We use both child-initiated and adult-led activities to promote development.

Themes are incorporated to encourage reading, healthy habits, and an awareness of the world.

Characteristics of Effective Learning:

·       Playing and exploring

·       Active learning

·       Creating and thinking critically

Assessment 

We observe children frequently, using this to build Learning Diaries in partnership with parents. We make periodic summaries and complete a statutory progress check between 24–36 months.

Interventions to deepen our curriculum:

·       Healthy Movers: This programme supports young children’s physical development, movement, and self-awareness through fun and engaging activities.

·       Letters and Sounds: A structured phonics programme designed to help children develop early reading and speaking skills through rhythm, rhyme, and phoneme recognition.

·       Nature Study: Outdoor-based exploration and observation help children understand the natural world and develop environmental responsibility.

·       Reading Eggs: A digital platform that provides interactive reading games and books tailored to each child’s level to promote a love of reading.

·       Early Talk Boost: A targeted intervention for 3–5-year-olds with delayed language, aiming to accelerate communication skills through small group sessions.

Working together for your children 

We maintain staff-to-child ratios as set by statutory guidance and use volunteer helpers to enhance provision.

How parents take part 

We welcome involvement through helping in sessions, sharing knowledge, joining events and more.

Key Person 

Every child is assigned a Key Person who supports their individual care and learning journey.

Learning for adults

Our staff take part in continuous professional development. We also offer occasional workshops for parents.

Daily routines

Children engage in a mix of active, quiet, outdoor, and structured activities suited to their energy levels and needs.

Snacks and meals 

Parents are asked to provide meals and snacks. We promote healthy eating in line with Ofsted expectations.

Clothing 

We recommend easy-to-manage clothing for independence. Protective clothing is provided for messy play.

Policies 

Our full policies are available in the office. Staff can explain them on request.

Safeguarding 

We are committed to children’s safety and wellbeing and have safeguarding policies in place. We work closely with families, the local authority, OFSTED and agencies when needed.

Inclusive Setting 

We aim to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational or health needs. We follow the SEND Code of Practice (2015).

Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is Zoe Allen. 

The setting is owned by Zoe Allen.

Starting at our setting 

We aim for a smooth transition. Your child’s key person will support their settling-in, with flexibility based on your child’s needs. See our separate Settling-in Policy.

We hope you and your child enjoy being part of Sweet Hearts Childcare!

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