Curriculum & Routines

Our Babies 9 months - 1 year

Our baby group caters for our babies aged 9 months to 1 year with activities that give our babies the opportunity to choose their own activity to participate in. Our babies are observed over the three areas of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Activities are provided in various forms including softplay. Keyperson led activities are set out and babies are also encouraged to take activities of their choice.

Potty training facilities are available but we respond to the apparent readiness of the child and your wishes.

Our Toddlers 2 years

Our toddlers group caters for children aged 2. There is access to both indoor and outdoor learning opportunities and children are able to move freely between each activity. Keypersons both supervise and encourage your child to accomplish the task of each activity as well as record observations of your child during these activities. These observations are included in your child's development file and help us in planning further activities and learning opportunities, to both promote their development and to share with parents and guardians. All toddler room activities prepare your child for the next stage which is the pre-schoolers stage of learning.

Our Pre-schoolers 3-5 years

Our preschool group is home to all our nursery children between the ages of 3 to 5. Alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage, we have also introduced the Montessori curriculum. To prepare them for their next step in education, we provide the children with a number of different activities that will promote confidence for their transition to primary school education. These activities will cover the 7 areas of learning:

Understanding the World
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Literacy
Expressive Arts and Design
Mathematics
Communication and Language
Physical Development

Our pre-schoolers are encouraged to be independent. A Keyperson-led activity will always be provided, but children are required to set out their own activities independently and are free to choose the learning experience they wish to undertake. They are required to do this in an organised manner, putting activities away, once they have completed the previous activity to their satisfaction. They are also encouraged to speak about what they are doing, how and why, thus sharing their learning experience with others.

Daily Routines

Breakfast is available between 8.00am and 8.45am while the children settle and play freely.

Children will have a drink and fruit or small snack at 10.00am.

Lunch is served at 11.30am

Rest period is at 12.30pm

Children will have a drink and fruit or small snack at 2pm.

Tea is served at 4:00pm.

Our Chef prepares fresh daily food for the children, where we will substitute vegetarian meals using Quorn products and any other dietary requirements.

Rest period is after lunch and we provide sheets, blankets and sleeping mats designed specifically for rest times. While younger children will need to lie down, older children may have quiet time reading, listen to stories, or go for an afternoon outing to the library, park or river.

Your child will benefit from a full range of activities and the opportunity for outdoor play throughout the day. We plan outings with parents' consent sought well in advance. Once a year, we have an outing to the seaside or a family fun day where we welcome the support of parents and friends. We also have social evenings held twice a year, where we ask parents to bring a dish from their cultural background, to share with others.

At the end of the year in December, children will perform songs and a play for parents and family, where Father or Mother Christmas comes to visit.

Settling-in Routines

For a child, starting somewhere new can be a daunting prospect. Before your child starts at Step by Step, we ask them to visit to spend some time with us. To plan for settling-in, we ask for the involvement of the child, the parents or main carers and the Keyperson. We invite you to stay with your child at the nursery for the first two days, starting with a short day, then lengthening the time until a full day is achieved. However, some children may take longer to settle. Your child's Keyperson will manage the settling-in and will liaise with you.