Curriculum 

Beavers work off of the Early Years foundation stage (EYFS) Curriculum and the children learn and play through child initiated and adult led activities.

The EYFS is made up of seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are connected to one another and are equally important. All areas of learning and development are underpinned by the principles of the EYFS.

There are 3 prime areas:

Personal, social and emotional development

Children build strong friendships, initially playing alongside one another and then progressing to develop ideas together, share interests and show respect, care and concern towards themselves, one another and the world around them.  They gain self-confidence in their developing skills and abilities and self-awareness in knowing and expressing their feelings, ideas and in asking for help if they need it. 

Communication and Language

In one-to-one and small group conversations, circle-times and storytelling, children listen carefully, ask questions, share  their thinking and follow instructions.  They tell and re-tell stories and describe to us how things work.  We extend children’s speaking skills by introducing new vocabulary, reflecting correct pronunciation and grammar back to them and by showing real interest in what they have to tell us.

Physical Development

Children develop their fine motor skills in many different ways, for example through drawing, cutting, threading, painting, pouring, cooking, building, sand play, small world play, using simple tools, fastening their buttons and zips.  They develop gross motor skills indoors and outdoors, through running, jumping, using climbing and sports equipment, kicking and catching balls.  Children also love helping themselves to the healthy snack at break time and to water whenever they feel thirsty.

The four remaining specific areas in children's Learning and Development are: 

Literacy

Reading: We read, tell and retell stories and recite and sing rhymes together every day. We work with Phase 1 of ‘Letters and Sounds’, helping children to develop their auditory discriminatory skills for identifying sounds all around them and particular sounds in letters, words and rhymes. 

Writing: Very young children mark make and we ask them to tell us about the drawings and writing they have made. They learn to write their name with correct pen grip.  

Maths

Numbers:  Through number games, stories, rhymes and maths equipment children count and solve problems, for themselves and together.   

Shape, space and measure: Children weigh in cooking, explore capacity in water play, measure how tall they are and make patterns using sequences of colours or shapes.  They build with 2D and 3D shapes and learn the mathematical names for the shapes they use.

Understanding the World

People and Communities:  In circle times, festival days, and Book Week, children learn about their own and other children’s faiths and culture.   We talk to children about the similarities and differences between us all and how we can be kind, happy and caring individuals.  

The World:  Children explore and investigate the world around them, finding out how things work, naming different animals and plants and discovering how plants grow then decay.

Technology: Children have access to ipads, digital cameras, where they can take pictures of each other, and explore with digital scales. Children can engage with  programmable toys with help and independently.

Expressive Arts and Design

Exploring and using media and materials: Children have Musical instruments out every week, which they can explore and use their imagination creating sounds and music. Children join in with dancing on a daily basis.  Children design and make constructions using different materials and tools, for example chopping fruit to make a fruit salad, or using junk to create their own structures.  

Being Imaginative: We have a wide range of media and materials for children to use in painting, making collages, building dens, playing percussion instruments, dancing, role play and for re-enacting or making up their own stories.

These seven areas of learning and development together make up the skills, knowledge and experiences appropriate for babies and children as they grow, learn and develop. Although, these are presented as separate areas, it is important to remember that for children everything links and nothing is compartmentalised. The challenge for us is to ensure that the children’s learning and development occur as an outcome of their individual interests and abilities, and that planning for learning and development takes account of these.