Learning Environment

Our Early Years learning environment is carefully planned to support children’s independence, curiosity, confidence and love of learning. We view the indoor and outdoor environment as the child’s “third teacher”, so it is designed to support children’s development, learning behaviours and the characteristics of effective learning.

Our classrooms and outdoor areas are organised into distinct zones, with carefully selected resources that are appealing, accessible and purposeful. These areas give children daily opportunities to explore, practise, revisit and apply what they have been taught across the curriculum.

Continuous Provision and Outdoor Learning

Continuous provision is at the heart of our environment. Resources are deliberately chosen and organised to meet the needs of each cohort and are progressive from Nursery to Reception, with increasing challenge in the resources, vocabulary, knowledge and skills children use over time.

Adults teach children how to use the provision safely and purposefully. Through high-quality interactions, staff model language, extend thinking, introduce vocabulary, support independence and move learning forward.

Our outdoor area is planned in a similar way to the indoor classroom, offering children rich opportunities for active, sensory and experiential learning. Children are supported to try new things, repeat and refine skills, solve problems, collaborate with others and make sense of the world around them.

Working with Early Excellence

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for our youngest children, we have worked with Early Excellence to further develop our Early Years provision. This has strengthened the quality of our learning environment, with a particular focus on purposeful provision, communication and language, and high-quality adult interaction.