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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our School
      • Welcome
      • Our School Vision, Values and Ethos
      • School Prospectus
      • Ofsted Report
      • Staff List
      • General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
      • Governors
      • Volunteering
      • Vacancies
    • School Policy
      • Sustainability
      • School Policies
      • Behaviour
      • SEND
      • Pupil Premium & Free School Meals
      • Sports Premium
      • School Performance
      • Safeguarding
    • Healthy Lives
      • Well Being
      • Healthy Eating
      • Keeping Active
      • Healthy Minds
  • News
    • Calendar
    • Term Dates
    • Letters To Parents
    • Newsletters
  • Curriculum
    • Teaching and Learning
      • EYFS
      • Homework Expectations
      • Our Topics
      • Year 1
      • Year 2
      • Year 3
      • Year 4
      • Year 5
      • Year 6
      • Science
      • Art & DT
      • Humanities
    • Core Subjects
      • Reading and Phonics
      • Writing
      • Mathematics
      • Science
      • Humanities
    • Foundation Subjects
      • Creative Arts
      • Computing
      • PSHCE
      • Music
      • Physical Education
      • Religious Education
      • Spanish
    • Our Classes
      • EYFS
      • Year 1
      • Year 2
      • Year 3/4B
      • Year 3/4Y
      • Year 5
      • Year 6M
      • Year 6S
  • Parents
    • Admissions
    • Attendance
    • Ofsted Parent View
    • Online Safety
    • RSE Parent Consultation
    • School Meals
    • Secondary School Transfer
    • PTFA
    • Online Payments
    • School Uniform
    • Breakfast Club and After School Club
  • Day Care
    • About Us
      • Welcome
      • Aims & Objectives
      • Staff List and Key Worker System
      • Opening Times Term Dates and Fees
      • Contact
    • Nursery and Day Care Policy
      • Policies
      • Safeguarding & Inclusion
    • Curriculum
      • Our Curriculum
    • Parents & Carers
      • Admissions
      • Nursery Meals
      • Calendar of Events
      • Famly App
      • Logging a Complaint
      • Extended Services
  • Contact

Our Curriculum

Our Curriculum

Home > Day Care  > Curriculum > Our Curriculum

At our day care nursery, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to provide a rich, play based curriculum that supports every child’s early learning and development. The EYFS underpins everything we do, ensuring children have access to high quality experiences across the prime and specific areas of learning. Our environment is carefully designed to spark curiosity, encourage independence, and promote exploration through meaningful, hands on play.

We complement the EYFS with an ‘In the Moment Planning’ approach. This means our practitioners respond sensitively to children’s interests as they happen, recognising that the most powerful learning takes place when children are deeply engaged. Staff observe children closely, identify teachable moments, and interact purposefully to extend thinking, build language, and introduce new skills.

By combining the structure of the EYFS with the responsiveness of in the moment planning, we create a curriculum that is:

  • Child‑led, following each child’s unique interests and motivations
  • Flexible and responsive to each child
  • Inclusive, ensuring every child can participate and make progress
  • Developmentally rich, supporting communication, personal growth, physical development, and early learning concepts

Our aim is to nurture confident, curious, and capable learners who feel safe to explore, express themselves, and discover new possibilities every day.

Developing Oracy and Personal, Social & Emotional Skills

We place a strong emphasis on supporting children’s spoken language and communication and their personal, social and emotional development (PSED). These areas form the foundation for all future learning and are central to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Oracy: Building Confident Communicators

We know that high‑quality early language experiences shape a child’s ability to express ideas, build relationships, and understand the world around them. Through everyday conversations, storytelling, songs, role play, and responsive interactions, our staff help children to:

  • Develop vocabulary and expressive language
  • Listen attentively and communicate their needs
  • Build confidence to speak in groups
  • Enjoy rich, meaningful conversations
  • Develop early reasoning, questioning and turn‑taking skills

By nurturing oracy from the earliest age, we give children the tools they need for future learning, social interaction, and emotional wellbeing.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Growing Confident, Independent Learners

This is at the heart of high‑quality early years practice. We support children to build positive relationships, understand their feelings, and develop resilience. Through play, modelling, and supportive routines, we help children to:

  • Develop self‑confidence and a strong sense of self
  • Form warm, trusting relationships with other children and adults
  • Learn to manage feelings and behaviour
  • Build independence, curiosity, and self‑care skills
  • Work cooperatively, share, and take turns

Our environment and daily practice promote emotional safety, kindness, respect, and inclusion—ensuring every child feels secure and ready to learn.


Outdoor Learning

We believe that some of the most meaningful learning happens outside. Our newly refurbished outdoor area is designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and confidence in every child.

With dedicated spaces for physical play, nature exploration, imaginative role‑play, and quiet reflection, children are encouraged to explore the world around them in a safe and stimulating environment. Whether they are digging in the garden,  tending to plants, building with natural materials, or challenging themselves on our climbing equipment, outdoor learning supports every area of their development.

We embrace all-weather play, helping children build resilience, independence, and a strong connection to nature. Our staff carefully plan outdoor experiences that nurture early language, problem‑solving, teamwork, and physical skills—making the outdoors an extension of our indoor learning environment.

Our goal is to ensure every child enjoys the freedom to move, explore, and learn through real, hands-on experiences.


 27‑Month Developmental Review

As part of our commitment to supporting each child’s individual growth, we offer a statutory 27‑month developmental review in partnership with parents and carers and health practitioners. This check provides a holistic picture of your child’s learning, communication, physical development, and well‑being.

During the review, our experienced practitioners will share observations, celebrate achievements, and discuss any areas where additional support may be helpful. Together, we create a clear plan for your child’s next steps, ensuring they continue to thrive in their early years journey.


Preparing Children for Reception

We support each child to develop the independence, confidence, and early learning skills they need for a smooth transition into Reception. Being “school ready” is about children feeling secure, capable, and excited to take their next step.

Through play-based learning and nurturing routines, our staff help children build strong communication skills, social understanding, resilience, and self‑care abilities. We work closely with families to celebrate progress and identify any areas where additional support may help. Our goal is for every child to leave us confident, capable, and eager to learn.

Here are some of the practical skills we help children develop as they prepare for Reception:

Independence & Self‑Care

  • Putting on their own coat and shoes
  • Using the toilet independently
  • Washing and drying hands properly
  • Beginning to manage snacks, lunchboxes, and water bottles
  • Tidying up after themselves

Social and Emotional Development

  • Playing cooperatively and taking turns
  • Managing small disagreements with support
  • Expressing their feelings and needs
  • Building friendships
  • Showing growing resilience when things don’t go to plan

Communication and Language

  • Listening to simple instructions
  • Taking part in group time or story sessions
  • Speaking in full sentences
  • Asking questions and sharing ideas
  • Understanding basic routines

Early Learning Skills (through play)

  • Recognising their own name
  • Holding a mark‑making tool with control
  • Enjoying stories, rhymes, and songs
  • Counting objects in play
  • Sorting, matching, and noticing patterns

Physical Development

  • Running, jumping, climbing, and balancing safely
  • Using fine‑motor skills such as threading, building, and drawing
  • Beginning to use scissors safely
Related Pages
  • Our Curriculum
Contact us

Harrington Hill Primary School
Mount Pleasant Lane
London E5 9JG

Tel: 020 8806 7275

For queries please contact the school on the above telephone number or email your query to admin@harringtonhill.hackney.sch.uk

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