Curriculum Intent

 

At Little Explorers Day Nursery & Preschool, our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and designed to give every child, regardless of background, starting point or need. The knowledge, skills and cultural capital they require for future learning and life in modern Britain.

We recognise that children join us with varied experiences, levels of development and diverse family backgrounds. This includes children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), children with English as an Additional Language (EAL), and children from disadvantaged circumstances. Our intent is to ensure that these differences do not become barriers to learning.

 

We are committed to closing gaps in attainment through:

 

• Early identification of need

• Precise baseline assessment

• High expectations for all children

• Carefully sequenced learning experiences

• Targeted support and timely intervention

• Strong partnerships with parents and external professionals

We design our curriculum to build progressively over time, ensuring children develop the essential foundations in communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development, alongside a secure understanding across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

 

What We Aim to Develop

 

Confident, Motivated Learners

 

We foster children’s confidence in their ability to learn by promoting curiosity, resilience and independence. Children are encouraged to explore, question, think critically and take pride in their achievements.

 

Strong Social Communicators

 

Communication and language are at the heart of our curriculum. We provide rich language experiences, model high-quality interactions and create meaningful opportunities for children to develop vocabulary and conversational skills. For children with EAL, we value and celebrate home languages while supporting English acquisition through visual prompts, repetition and purposeful adult interaction.

 

Emotionally Secure Individuals

 

We prioritise children’s emotional well-being and sense of belonging. Through consistent relationships and a secure key person approach, children learn to understand their feelings, regulate emotions and develop positive problem-solving skills.

 

Inclusion and Equality of Opportunity

 

Our curriculum is adapted and differentiated to ensure accessibility for all children.

For children with SEND, we implement a graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review. Personalised learning plans and targeted strategies ensure that children make meaningful progress from their individual starting points.

 

For children from disadvantaged backgrounds, we prioritise enriched experiences, strong attachments and additional support where required. We actively remove barriers to participation and learning to ensure equality of opportunity.

 

For children with EAL, we create an environment that reflects diverse cultures and languages. We work closely with families to understand children’s linguistic backgrounds and support both home language development and English fluency.

 

Our Learning Environment

 

We provide a well-structured, safe and stimulating indoor and outdoor environment that promotes active learning. Our continuous provision enables children to revisit and deepen learning independently while skilled adults extend and scaffold thinking.

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Through this approach, children develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that form the foundation for lifelong learning, enabling them to become confident, capable and respectful members of a diverse and ever-changing society.