Future Proofed

How do you ensure that you lay down the right foundations for your child’s future? Dina Shoukry advises on what to look out for in early years education.

Early years education is about the inquisitive child, the inquiry-based learner and developing the critical thinker,” says Jo Parker, Head of DUCKS at Dulwich College.

Indeed, the government’s new early years foundation stage framework (EYFS) which came into effect on 31st March 2021, has a strong focus on independent and child-led learning and was written with the intention of giving every child the best start in life.

“Child-initiated activities support and develop independent learning skills from an early age,” says Adam Woodcraft, Head of Early Years at Dolphin School. “Specific study skills in children’s work, such as prediction, analysis, hypothesis, comparison and justification support their development as a learner. At Dolphin, children learn to make informed choices during child-initiated activities, where teachers explain the range of options and provide help and guidance.”

There are three prime areas of learning: communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; and physical development along with four specific areas: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. All seven areas are interconnected and used by early years settings to shape their education programmes to ignite the children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.

“Parents should look for a broad, ambitious and inspiring curriculum which fosters independence from the start with a strong emphasis on learning through play,” says Gabriella Emery, Head of The Roche Nursery Schools. “We have mark-making tools everywhere, whether that be in the role-play area, construction area or mud kitchen outside! The opportunity to write can be introduced everywhere.”

“Evidence shows that a broad vocabulary and an ability to convey meaning to adults and peers are vital for a successful education,” says Peter Weal, Headteacher at Alderbrook Nursery & Primary School. “Our phonics programme begins in Nursery and builds progressively through Reception and on to Year 1, giving the children the tools they need to read. This, combined with our love of reading initiative, means that children grow up with a passion for reading.”

One of the major updates of the new EYFS framework is on literacy and maths. “The EYFS says that by the end of Reception all children should be writing sentences,” explains Charlotte Butterfill, Director of Butterfly Preschool. “To be able to get to that point, by the end of our pre-school curriculum, we expect children to know all their phonics, how to write their own name, be able to recognise and count to ten and match quantities with numerals.”

“At Dolphin, children make excellent progress due to the rigorous assessment process that highlights areas of strength and weakness and identifies children’s next steps,” says Woodcraft. “Early literacy skills develop quickly due to the well-structured phonics programme, enabling children to develop secure pre-reading and writing skills.”

But “an ambitious curriculum should mean in all subjects and not just in maths and language,” warns The Roche’s Emery. When visiting an early years setting, ask how individualised the teaching is. “Tailor-made programmes are the most effective as every child is unique and learns at different rates. What you want to see is that children are being taught according to the pace that is right for them. At the Roche Nursery, our Montessori approach has equipment ranging from simple to complex – something for everyone to explore so differentiation and offering challenge is woven into our school fabric.”

At The Eveline Day Nursery Schools, “The small classes, personalised education with a wonderfully creative emphasis, ensures that all pupils achieve a measure of personal success; it might be academic or on the sports field or in the creative arena,” says Director, Eveline Drut.

“The lovely thing about the EYFS is how fluid and flexible it is, and how child-led it is intended to be,” adds Kristy O’Donnell, Reception class teacher and Early Years Co-ordinator at Alleyn’s Junior School. “Planning can move with the children’s interests and curiosities and there is plenty of opportunity to learn through fun, engaging, exciting and practical ways.”

Visit during the school day so you can see how the children react to their environment. “Open days are great to gain a wider picture but ask for an individual tour when the setting is in action to achieve a more in-depth dive,” advises Emery.

“I look at the faces of children,” says Sarah Sanger, founder and principal at The Woodentops Nurseries. “When I see
that moment of wonder, I know that this is a really high level of engagement. That is how we know that the activity we are doing with them is developing their learning and understanding.”

Don’t just talk to the teachers but observe how they interact with the children. “Early years educators are excellent role models in allowing the inquisitive (and not so inquisitive) child to take a lead while scaffolding their learning and encouraging critical thinking,” says DUCKS’ Parker. This is why pupil voice is key at DUCKS where changes in the lunch menu and chalkboards in the garden were instigated by the pupils themselves.

While looking around, ask how teachers use their resources to build and support learning and help children feel happy and secure. “Does the space look inviting?” asks Emery. “Are there different areas of low-level table, carpet and quiet areas? Schools offering open-ended resources provide far greater learning opportunities. Conveyor belt activities are a red flag.”

At Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School, children are provided with ‘provocations’ rather than activities, “because they are set out to provoke thought,” says Kristie Dodd, Marketing and Events Manager.

OUTDOOR LEARNING AND THE BAREFOOT APPROACH

Outdoor learning can consist of a variety of opportunities, from forest school sessions and trips to simply just taking learning outside.

For babies and toddlers especially, being outdoors can enhance physical skills, emotional wellbeing, and an understanding of the world around them. Throw in the barefoot approach and you can reach new levels of outdoor exploration!

Babies’ early understanding of the world is made up of what they can see, hear and feel. To allow them to explore the world around them freely, simply without shoes or socks can open up a wealth of new understanding. The ability to risk assess one’s own environment usually doesn’t come until later in the early years but imagine being able to understand the sense of ‘hard’, ‘bumpy’, ‘soft’ and ‘cold’ underfoot from your very first steps, and therefore move forward with more knowledge and understanding of the world around you.

Source: Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School

Kristie Dodd, Marketing and Events Manager. Children learn how to use adult tools such as drills and saws to build their own climbing frames at the forest nursery and heat guns and chicken wire to make sculptures in the art sessions, under the watchful eyes of specialist teachers so they “learn valuable life skills that they need to be well-rounded individuals,” continues Dodd.

“Eveline Day Nursery Schools replicate a home-from-home environment, where each young child feels loved, nurtured and secure,” says Drut. “As the children grow in their familiar surroundings and move into the different age-related rooms, they continue to learn, grow and develop their confidence, ready for school life.”

Children should be exposed to different experiences inside and outside of the classroom too. Many early years settings run forest schools and take their children on trips as well as inviting in specialist sports, music and dance teachers.

At Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School, children are taught to care for animals in their farm nursery. “The children do a headcount of the animals and count out the scoops of feed for the rabbits and chickens which are early maths skills; they’ll read the signs on the enclosures, which is early literacy skills, but they will also clean the enclosures, so we are making sure they understand the needs of others, the world around them, and have empathy for living beings,” says Dodd.

At Woodentops Nursery, children are encouraged to be good citizens by taking part in community activities like baking for the Salvation Army and picking up litter in the local park.

A key part of the role of nurseries is school readiness, so ask teachers specifically how they do this. “At Woodentops Nursery, we focus on the growth mindset very early on,” says Sanger. “We give the children opportunities to fail and try again and learnthrough experimentation and replay. In this way, they learn strategies for coping.”

In fact, there is a much broader view now around what school readiness is. “We’re much more focused on the personal, social and emotional side now than purely reading and writing,” says Sanger. “Can a child sit in circle time and join in a group activity? Or stand up and do show and tell? Can they listen to their friend talking and ask questions? Can they join in collaboratively?”

Ask how qualified and experienced the staff are. At Butterfly Preschool all teachers have first aid qualifications, and many have had TEACCH training, a programme to help teachers support autistic children with their learning. They also have their own communication language assessment and programme for three-year-olds where they can detect children with communication delays. The preschool will also help with the applications to the council for an education, health and care plan (EHC) to get funding for extra support, a godsend for parents who find the process lengthy and arduous.

“We want to get the right infrastructure and support in place early because the earlier you do this, the less trouble the child will have at school and the more they will succeed,” says Butterfly’s Butterfill. “Now because the expectation at reception is so high, I sometimes even recommend we hold the child back for a year so that we can help them catch-up.”

Before making your decision, make sure that you feel heard. Good preschools know that every child is different so they will support you through separation anxiety and will do home visits to make the child more comfortable. Butterfly Preschool has a YouTube channel so children can familiarise themselves with their teachers before they start. Similarly, many early years settings will have regular communications or an online portal to keep in touch with parents.

Pre-nurseries, nursery schools, forest nurseries, childminders, playgroups and daycare – there is a bewildering array of options for parents to choose from for the first milestone in their child’s educational journey. An environment and a curriculum that provokes curiosity, discovery and exploration allows for problem solving and critical thinking, and those are the skills that children need to give them the best start in life.

What am I entitled to?

All families in England are entitled to 570 hours of free childcare or early education per year, which is usually taken as 15 hours per week for 38 weeks.

Working parents of three-to-four-year-olds, where both parents are each earning less than £100,000 pa, are also eligible for a further 15 hours, ie. a total of 30 hours. In addition, there is a Tax-Free Childcare account – the government pays £2 for every £8 you pay your childcare provider (up to £2,000 per child per year).

Starting from April 2024, existing childcare support will be expanded in phases. By September 2025, most working families with children under the age of five will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support. More details at: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Free education nursery providers

Those offering free nursery education for three- and four-year-olds include maintained nursery schools and primary school nursery classes; private nurseries offer the 15 (some 30) free hours as above.

When to apply

Closing date for applications for nursery places in maintained primary schools for entrance in September 2023 was in February 2023. Each year follows a similar timeframe. More details at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The EYFS is how the government and early years professionals describe the time in your child’s life between birth and five-years-old. Nurseries, pre-schools, reception classes and childminders registered to deliver the EYFS must follow a legal document, the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, which sets out: the legal welfare requirement that all those registered to look after children must follow; the seven areas of learning and development to guide professionals’ engagement with your child’s play and activities; assessments of your child’s progress; Early Learning Goals – the expected levels your child should reach at age five; and the written details the professionals should give you at age two and age five. More details at: www.foundationyears.org.uk

NURSERY SCHOOLS

Alderbrook Nursery (& Primary School)
Oldridge Road, SW12 8PP
info@alderbrook.wandsworth.sch.uk
alderbrookprimaryschool.co.uk
020 8673 4913
3-5 years

Butterfly Preschool
Two locations:
32b Webb’s Road, SW11 6SF
Wimbledon Montessori
St Mark’s Church, St Mark’s Place,
SW19 7ND
thebutterflypreschool.co.uk
020 3740 7639
2-5 years

Broomwood Nursery
Little Broomwood
192 Ramsden Road, SW12 8RQ
admissions@broomwood.com
broomwood.com
020 8682 8830
Pre-school year (3-4) with automatic entry to Broomwood Pre-Prep

Eaton House The Manor Nursery
58 Clapham Common North Side, SW4 9RU
sfeilding@eatonhouseschools.com
eatonhouseschools.com/clapham/nursery
020 7924 6000
2-4 years

Eaton Square Nursery Schools
Two locations:
55-57 Eccleston Square, SWIV IPH
32a Lupus Street, SWIV 3DZ
registrar@eatonsquareschools.com
eatonsquareschools.com/nursery-prep
020 7225 3131
2-4 years

Eveline Day Nurseries
Seven locations across SW17, SW18,
SW19 & SW20
info@evelinedaynursery.com
evelinedaynursery.com
3 months-5 years

Keswick House Nursery School
42 Keswick Road, SW15 2JE
office@keswickhousenursery.co.uk
keswickhousenursery.co.uk
020 8704 4857
2-5 years

Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School
Two locations:
Little Barn Owls Nursery, The Orchard,
Cowfold Road, West Grinstead RH13 8LY
01403 916501
Woodlands, Old Crawley Road,
Horsham, RH12 4RU
01403 254413
admissions@littlebarnowls.co.uk
littlebarnowls.co.uk
3 months-5 years

Noah’s Ark Nursery Schools
Two locations:
Dolphin School, 106 Northcote Road,
SW11 6QW
West Side Church, Wandsworth Common Westside, Melody Road, SW18 2ED
admissions@dolphinschool.org.uk
noahsarknurseryschools.org.uk
020 7924 3472 ext 2
21/2 -5 years

Streatham & Clapham Prep
Wavertree Road, SW2 3SR
020 8674 6912
prep@schs.gdst.net
schs.gdst.net/your-journey/early-years/overview/
3+ entry

The Woodentops Nurseries
Two locations:
24 Thornton Road, SW12 OLF
020 8674 9514
nurserymanager@woodentopsnurseries.com
woodentopsnurseries.com
6 months-5 years
1 Poynders Road, SW4 8NX
020 8675 5033
office@woodentopsnurseries.com
woodentopsnurseries.com
6 months-5 years