We believe that young children learn best through play, so we create a fun, engaging, and supportive environment where they can explore, discover, and grow. Our activities are carefully planned to match their interests and needs, while giving them the freedom to make choices and build independence.

Everything we do is focused on helping your child develop a love for learning, build confidence, and get ready for the next stage of their education.

The curriculum for this phase is the only statutory curriculum provided by the Government and we follow it by implementing ‘The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum’, which was published in 2012. Learning through play is key to the development of these very young children and we provide appropriate activities and a high degree of autonomy to maximise motivation. 

From Nursery all the way through to Year 6, we underpin all of our teaching on the Early Years Curriculum. This covers:

The three prime areas are:

  • Communication and Language
  • Physical Development
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development

The specific areas are:

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the World
  • Expressive Arts and Design

The school plans activities which reflect the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning. These are:

Play and exploring – children investigate, 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

At Barclay Primary School Nursery, our curriculum is delivered through a balance of structured adult-led teaching and high-quality child-initiated play. 

We follow the EYFS framework, using carefully planned topics and themes that respond to the children’s interests and developmental needs. Daily routines include phonics, early maths, storytelling, and expressive arts, all enriched by our vibrant indoor and outdoor learning environments.

Our intent is to provide a rich, engaging, and inclusive curriculum that nurtures the whole child. We aim to spark curiosity, build confidence, and develop a lifelong love of learning from the very beginning. Our curriculum is designed to support children’s personal, social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development, while laying strong foundations in communication, language, literacy, and numeracy.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through regular observation, assessment, and reflective practice. Children leave our nursery as confident, independent learners who are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.