Noah's Arkley Nursery      

The children have lots of activities to choose from throughout the morning covering all areas of the national curriculum for early years. When they first join us we spend time with them helping them settle in and get used to nursery life.  We offer a structured routine which includes activities such as singing, music and movement, painting, construction toys, nature experiences, play dough, drawing, jigsaws, threading, outside play and much more! We also spend a lot of time with the children on colours, shapes and counting, which are the building blocks for reading and writing.  There is also a book corner to encourage a positive attitude to reading. It provides them with a whole range of classic and modern books.

Our aim with the older children is that they learn to do as much as possible for themselves to gain independence, self esteem and confidence. 

At Noah’s Arkley we follow the revised Early Years Foundation Stage 2017. We use the seven areas of learning and development, set out by the government, to shape our educational programme. We believe that all areas of learning and development are important for building vital foundations in children’s' development.

The prime areas of development are crucial for stimulating children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive:

• Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations. 
• Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
• Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

We also support and develop children within four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied:

• Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
• Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.
• Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
• Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.