Our curriculum

Nursery Curriculum Map 2024-25

If you have any questions about our curriculum please contact our Headteacher, Deborah Howard, to pass on to the Curriculum Lead.

Click here to see the PowerPoint from the Nursery Maths Parent Workshop (Spring 2024)

Click here to see the PowerPoint from the Nursery Phonics & Reading Parent Workshop (Autumn 2023)

EYFS Framework

At Oswald Road we follow the revised EYFS Framework, which will be statutory from September 2021. Within this framework there are four guiding principles which shape our practice.

These are:
1. Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
2. Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
3. Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
4. Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

EYFS Learning & Development Requirements

Our curriculum encompasses seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and
thriving. These are called the prime areas:
• communication and language
• physical development
• personal, social, and emotional development.
• literacy

Four areas help children to strengthen and apply the prime areas.These are called the specific areas:
• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding the world
• expressive arts and design

Throughout their time in EYFS our children partake in a well-balanced and varied curriculum which is designed in a sequential way to ensure progress towards the end of reception goals. These goals are defined as Early Learning Goals (ELGs).

As previously outlined, our curriculum incorporates learning through play, learning by adults modelling, by observing each other and through guided learning and direct teaching. It is also important to highlight that our plans are flexible to allow us to respond quickly to children’s new interests and/or
needs.

Weaving throughout the EYFS curriculum at Oswald Road Primary are three Characteristics of Effective Learning.
• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’.
• active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements.
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

These elements underpin how we reflect on each child’s development and adjust our practice accordingly. Supporting children in their individual learning behaviour and observing the context of children’s play is essential.

Arrival & Collection of Children

Nursery children are to be dropped-off at and picked-up from the classroom door.

Drop-Off: 8.35am-8.45am

Pick-Up: 3:15pm

Childcare Vouchers

Oswald Road Nursery are working in cooperation with Manchester City Council and HMRC to accept the 30 hours free childcare vouchers. To find out if you are eligible and to apply please click here.

Food & Drink

Children are provided with a carton of milk and a fruit snack daily, with an option for dental milk (with added Fluoride).

If your child requires a lunch, you will need to purchase a school dinner and this can be arranged with the school office. School dinners are cooked on the premises in our kitchen and meet the government’s nutritional standards. They also comply with dietary and religious requirements. Fresh drinking water is available to children at all times. A record is kept of any special dietary requirements or food allergies, taken from the child’s admission form. If your child is entitled to free school meals, application forms are available in the school office.

Accidents, Sickness & Medication

There is always a member of staff with a relevant First Aid Qualification on the school’s site and an ‘Up-to- Date’ First Aid Box is kept on the premises at all times. The Staff of the Nursery will keep up-to-date records on children’s health. e.g. allergies (we are a nut free school). If your child needs medication, parents/carers should complete the relevant forms. Please also see the school’s Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions Policy

Phonics

In school, we follow the Essential Letters & Sounds programme. ELS is a phonics resource published by the Department for Education and Skills which consists of six phases which establishes a practice of high quality phonics. Phase 1 phonics is taught throughout the year. In the Summer term children begin to be exposed to Phase 2 phonics in preparation for their transition to Reception.

Phase 2 Pronunciation

Security & Child Collection

Security is our highest priority and we take all necessary steps to ensure the premises and surrounding site is secure. All staff are DBS checked before being employed by us, as are students and volunteers. For more information please see our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Nursery staff will request a ‘pick-up password’ if anyone we don’t recognise comes to collect a child.

Seesaw Online Learning Journals

Seesaw is a secure online learning journal used to record photos, observations and comments in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. It is used to build up a record of your child’s experiences during their time in Nursery and Reception.

The new curriculum specifies that adult interaction has to take priority over any form of recording or assessment, so we will be moving to recording only key ‘wow’ moments in each child’s development. We will continue to promote parental engagement by celebrating any observations added by parents and carers
from home.