Curriculum

Curriculum Rationale

At Abbey Wood Nursey School we have designed a broad and balanced curriculum with the intent that all children will master the skills they need to secure a strong foundation in early learning.

The curriculum enables staff to explore the broad interests that children of a particular age may have, but also allows space for staff to create activities and learning opportunities for children around individual interests, such as cooking or dressmaking. By using the child as the starting point, we are able to radiate out and explore how the school and the family can support the child, and what the child is able to contribute to the community. This holistic view of the child enables support to be individually targeted.

Surrounding the child is the school community and family. Staff are able to acknowledge and explore big ideas that impact the children’s families, through learning about heritage and encourage children to see their role in these events. At the same time, staff recognise that individual family changes may have an impact on a child, for example a new sibling. We have space in our curriculum to address these changes and develop emotional resilience and language to discuss what’s happening.

We recognise the role that the school has in supporting children to begin to make sense of the world. The school has educated generations of families and the community has diversified over the 80 years the school has been open. The school is at the centre of the community and we want children to see and experience that, and learn from it. We also want children to begin to explore big events in the world to help them feel a sense of belonging – laying the foundations for the move to Reception. We explore the impact of Black History Month and events like Children in Need so that the children feel a sense of belonging to a community wider than Abbey Wood.

Keeping the model of ‘The Child, The School/Family and The Community ‘ as the core of our curriculum, we have been designed and planned open ended themes that will run alongside and follow the rhythm and season of the year, which enable:

Adults to foster a culture that supports and celebrates curiosity, independence, problem solving and reasoning skills.
Children to have a window to the wider world through which they can discover, explore and experience.
Adults to sensitively model to children new concepts that will enable them to become more independent.
Autonomy for each class and each individual child, so that the curriculum is personalised to the needs and interests of that group of children.

Curriculum Intent

The curriculum is designed with the following in mind:

Every child will make good progress regardless of their starting point or individual needs.
Children will develop holistically with a strong focus on their mental health and well-being. They will be supported to care for one another and learn how to regulate their emotions.
Meaningful reflection and celebration of the diversity of our families and community
The curriculum will inspire a sense of awe and wonder, and connect children to nature and the world around them through experiences like watching chicks hatch.
Children’s personal social and emotional development is considered in all aspects of the curriculum so children become engaged, resilient, independent learners. They will be encouraged to have a strong sense of self and advocate for their own needs.
Communication and language is at the heart of every part of the curriculum
The curriculum lays strong foundations for literacy and mathematical development in a meaningful and practical way.
Partnership with families and carers
Children will be ready to start primary school on exit.

Curriculum goals:

To clarify the vision of the curriculum we have developed a set of curriculum goals describing what a child at Abbey Wood Nursery Child will achieve by the time they leave our school. A child leaving our school will be:

Abbey Wood Nursery Schools Curriculum Summary

You can find out more about the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) via the following websites

https://www.gov.uk/early-years-foundation-stage

https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/