Intent
Research both at home and abroad, online and in practice, about child development has shown us that the key developmental changes in how children learn do not usually occur until around the age of 7. However, in the UK, children are expected to move from the early years where their interest and developmental needs are at heart and which is carefully planned to develop their creativity and imagination, to Key stage 1 where their time to explore freely is often reduced to lunchtimes or breaktimes and where curriculum coverage and evidence to demonstrate progress is drummed into teaching staff as the priority. This goes against all the evidence behind child development.
Here at Nysgerrig Kindergarten and the Federation of Boskenwyn and Germoe Schools, we believe that children should have the opportunity to be creative, to use their imagination, to think critically about a problem in order to solve it, throughout their primary years, and this is achieved through continuous provision in key stage one and inquiry based learning through to year 6. Our staff have had the opportunity to do their own research in a variety of countries such as Finland, Norway, Iceland, Italy and more and we have developed our own unique approach to teaching and learning as a result. We like to say we have magpied the best bits of a variety of pedagogies such as Montessori, Waldorf, Steiner, Reggio Emilia and tailored our curriculum to meet the needs of all of our children to equip them with the skills and knowledge required for 21st century learning and future employment.
People unfamiliar with the research on child development may ask why we continue to facilitate a child-initiated, inquiry based approach in a stimulating environment beyond the early years and the reasons are as follows:
- Well-being
Learning is more enjoyable in a stimulating environment and children are highly motivated making their learning experience enjoyable. Research shows that when a child is closely connected to a situation and their involvement is high, their well-being improves; well-being is dependent upon a sense of satisfaction and belief in one’s own competencies.
- Life-long learning skills
Child-led learning challenges children to overcome problems in a wide range of meaningful contexts; social, emotional and intellectual. Children develop confidence in their own abilities and their independent, creative and critical thinking underpins successful, life-long learners.
- Making links, embedding skills and knowledge
The period of brain development between the ages of 2 and 7 is a prime opportunity to lay the foundation for a holistic education for children. We can maximise this period by; encouraging a love of learning, focusing on breadth instead of depth, paying attention to emotional intelligence, treating it as “real” learning. Allowing children to plan, monitor and evaluate their own activities, drawing on their prior experiences, set their own challenges and connect their learning across the curriculum whilst being driven by self-motivation is critical to this learning process.
At the heart of our early years curriculum lies the characteristics of effective learning:
- Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
- Active learning – children keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy their achievements.
- Playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’.
However, in the UK, this curriculum ends when children enter year one and we believe, for reasons stated above, that it should continue to the end of key stage one.
In order for this pedagogical approach to be implemented well, we have researched extensively at home and abroad and observed in schools in countries which score high in the PISA league tables such as Finland and Denmark and Norway. Both their academic and their emotional scores beat UK by far. Although they don’t start formal schooling until the age of 7, they surpass us in their 16 year old exams, they have 40% higher uptake at university than us and they are far more likely to travel the world!
Implementation
In order for this approach to be successful, we need a highly effective and well planned learning environment that offers 3 strands of learning and teaching:
- Directed Activities – curriculum through focussed discussion and group activiites
- Enhanced provision – curriculum through resource stimulus, interactive displays, visits and visitors
- Continuous Provision – curriculum through high quality indoor and outdoor learning environment
In a well resourced environment that offers an appropriate blend of provision there will be countless opportunities for children to pursue their innate curiosity, follow their interests as well as revisit, practice and embed the skills and knowledge we teach them; all of which ensures HIGH DEGREE OF CHALLENGE AND NURTURES DEEP-LEVEL LEARNING.
There will also be a strong focus on adult-led teaching and learning through directed activities. These include activities planned for carefully identified groups of children and whole class input, as part of the curriculum. During these activities adults introduce the learning, provide instruction, model skills, demonstrate methods of working and give practical examples of how to solve problems.
Each provision area contains a core set of learning resources which they are able to access and use independently. These resources remain mainly constant throughout the years so children are working in a familiar environment where they can sustain their interests, practice new skills, make links between different areas of knowledge and develop their ideas over time. Each area of provision can be enhanced by extending the resources included in line with children’s progress. For example we may enhance the geography provision with aerial photographs or the maths area with stopwatches. These enhancements are a way of extending children’s learning and responding to their interests and needs whilst meeting curriculum objectives. They are added to the continuous provision to give a new dimension to what is already there. Enhancements include resources, materials and equipment, visits and visitors and some may need adult support to introduce and guide their explorations.
Children are taught how to use their provision sensibly, safely and independently and are trusted to do so.
We have carefully selected our areas indoors and out to make the most of the space available and to ensure a breadth of curriculum coverage. The areas are as follows:
- Maths area
- Loose parts/small world
- Construction (outdoor)
- Writing
- Reading
- Scientific investigation and inquiry
- Workshop
- Water (outdoor)
- Art
- Creative kitchen (outdoor)
- Role play
- Geography/Block area
Tutor table – Directed teaching and learning
The above environment supports an active approach and enables children to explore their ideas and apply what the have been taught at the tutor table or the whole class input session. It provides the opportunity to revisit, practice and embed what they know or what they are being taught which supports the mastery of key skills and concepts and enables them to consolidate their knowledge and build their understanding. Key vocabulary is displayed along with opportunities for writing in each area.
The role of the adult is extremely important in successful provision. Just as whole class teaching can’t be done without an adult, neither can child-initiated learning. The adult role is to support, enhance and extend the learning that is taking place through a mixture of directed teaching time, skilful questioning and observations in provision. By spending time in provision, they will be able to make accurate assessments so they can plan for the next steps. In provision, adults observe and tune into the child, respect their decisions and choices, help them to re-cap on previous learning, remind them how to hold/say/do/share something, help them articulate their thinking, make suggestions that help move learning forward, raise questions and encourage children to question.
Resources have to earn their place, they are carefully selected so they enable children to explore their ideas and further embed a wide range of key skills, concepts and vocabulary. Children will have tidy up time at the end of each day to help them to learn how to take responsibility for their resources.
Timetabling is also an important factor. Now the children have been given the opportunity to deepen their learning, do we want to stop them when they are engrossed to go to break time? Having a snack table where children can help themselves throughout the morning would save time and prevent disturbances.
How are children challenged? Providing children with closed or prescribed challenges takes away the agency the children have over what they do. Challenge in provision relates to the high expectations set by the teacher, the support provided, the interactions. Children are challenging themselves all of the time which makes it more meaningful and successful. There are no limits.
Children will be taught to “Plan, Do/Review and Evaluate” in the areas of provision.
Plan - Depending on their level of development, the planning stage can move from a short discussion to an increasingly sophisticated and detailed recorded process with children encouraged and supported to shape their ideas through discussion, drawing, diagrams or writing.
Do/Review – Children need the time to progress with their work and consider next steps. This is their opportunity to extend their ideas, their vocabulary, to revisit and be introduced to new skills and knowledge. They may make many attempts at this stage and work both independently or with support.
Evaluate – Children will evaluate their work with increasing independence and challenge. Staff will have success criteria (linked to NC objectives) which helps children to be motivated to do their best and provide a framework for reference for adults to challenge children and reiterate high expectations whilst providing support.
Children will present their learning and explain their thinking and what they have been exploring and finding out about through presentations, galleries and displays, writing, diagrams and annotated photographs. The teacher will keep floor books to show the progression through the curriculum which will be available for parents and visitors.
Impact
Continuous provision provides children with the freedom to make their own choices so they are more likely to experience satisfaction, sustain motivation and persist when faced with a problem. They are therefore, far more likely to view themselves as successful learners.
Continuous provision and learning through play includes a wide range of approaches across a range of environments, which includes staff-led activities and free play. The combination of the differing approaches enables our children to flourish, to use their imagination and creativity, to reason and solve problems and to be both independent and interdependent.
On average, the studies of play that measure impact found that play-based learning approaches improve learning outcomes by approximately four additional months.
Play-based approaches can have substantial benefits for children who are identified as having social, emotional, or special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children whose social and emotional needs are met can make around 3 months additional progress over the year.
High quality provision includes multiple strategies across vocabulary, language, talk and social communication therefore improves communication and language skills. These communication and language approaches typically have a very high impact and increase young children’s learning by seven months.
