Pedagogy

Our pedagogy is based on the principle that children are capable and competent learners. We listen to our children's interests and respond to them appropriately in order to foster confidence, independence and to enable children to realise their potential as effective learners. 

We feel inspired by the approaches of Reggio Emilia, Scandinavian early years education models and Forest School.

Our pedagogy is rooted in listening to the child's voice which allows children to develop a presence within the setting as respected and valued members within a community. The children's voices are heard and valued. Practitioners respond to the children's expressions by being a supportive peer and a helpful guide; enabling children to take ownership of their discoveries and learning.

We view the environment as an inspirational educator. We have transformed our setting to include a healthy range of natural and real resources alongside the traditional nursery plastic toys such as trains, cars and animals. Plastic toys, while excellent for small world and imaginary play, can often can only be used in one way. Natural resources open up more possibilities for children to explore, be creative, experiment and use their imagination. For younger babies, natural resources found in treasure baskets serve as a way for them to experience and develop their senses. Babies might engage in their earliest forms of verbal communication as they babble with joy while they explore a treasure basket alongside an adult. For older children, they may draw a face on a wooden peg to make a small doll, dress it up and so on. With the same, wooden peg they may glue on some green tissue paper to make a tree. The creative possibilities with natural resources and the opportunities for imaginative play are quite vast.

Our passion for outdoor learning and Forest School goes hand in hand with our commitment to Reggio Emilia. Our outdoor learning specialists take children for regular sessions in the nearby wildlife area (across the road) where the children engage in fun, problem-solving, risk-taking activities. The activities undertaken are based on the children's interests and the risks taken are measured against the children's ability. A calculated risk might be, for example, allowing a child to balance along a log. We encourage children to engage with the outdoors and nature; it builds confidence, social skills and resilience. Please also see our Forest School page for more information about future forest school sessions.

Through our vision, pedagogy and curriculum, we hope that our children will continue to have the confidence to pursue their interests and to develop a life-long love of learning.