WHAT WE DO

The Early Years Foundation Stage

Birth-to-five

At Pebbles we use Birth-to-five matters as the basis of our Curriculum. 


Early Years Foundation stage Guide for Parents


This provides us with statements of learning that the children should be achieving within different age ranges.  Although we are very aware that children progress at their own pace.  Our curriculum is child-led, based on the children’s interests and experiences and enhanced by the practitioners.


The Characteristic of Effective Learning

The Characteristic of Effective Learning are a statutory part of this curriculum and underpin everything we do at Pebbles. They identify how a child learns instead of what they learn. To us a child becoming an effective learner; that can problem-solve; has the social skills to achieve with others; can communicate their ideas and feelings and learns through trial and error is far more important than what they learn. It stands them in good stead as they continue into formal education, making them life-long learners.


More information can be found in Section 5 of the EYFS Guide.

What British Values look like at Pebbles.....

Rule of Law – Our expected behaviours identified by the children and staff together at the beginning of the year.

Mutual Respect – Sharing; good manners; understanding other’s feelings; cultures and families; celebrating our uniqueness.

Democracy – Voting on which group activities to take part in at Pebbles and understanding that majority rules.

Individual Liberty – Freedom to make the right choices; developing decision-making skills and positive sense of self.


PRIME AREAS

What Physical development looks like at Pebbles...


Country walks to the local farm; church and a private wild field as well as visits to the park. Forest School sessions (including Wild Worship with Claire Wilkinson - the Reverend at St Mary's, Bulmer); being active in our outdoor play area and the garden. Two weekly P.E sessions - one in the school hall and one in the school grounds, as well as regular music and movement sessions. All of this runs alongside lots of activities that develop the children’s fine motor skills - threading, painting, junk modelling, chalking on the ground, water play, the list goes on and on....

What Communication and Language looks like at Pebbles...


So much singing – Nursery Rhymes are brilliant for developing children's speech; our library book system; small group sessions with a communication and language focus. We read books all the time and anywhere; staff having quality conversations with the children; using Makaton sign language and the Early Years Talk boost programme which is a targeted intervention aimed at 3-4 year old children with delayed language helping to boost their language skills and narrow the gap between themselves and their peers. See more on www.iCAN.org.uk



What Personal, Social and Emotional Development looks like at Pebbles.....


Confident, happy children who are socially aware of others and willingly play, learn and communicate with their peers and familiar adults. We use feeling spoons and Makaton signs to express our emotions.  Valuing the importance of sharing, compromise, listening to others, independence and having a positive Sense of Self.


Health & Well-being

A new part of the Early Years curriculum focuses on the children’s ‘sense of self’.  This is something we think is of the upmost importance at Pebbles.  We want your child to leave us – confident, expressive, independent; with high self-esteem and a positive sense of self!


  • On a very practical side we ensure we follow all health and safety procedures – filling in medical requirements, accident and incident forms and ensure we have all relevant health information about your child, completing health care plans when necessary.  But we teach the children about safety – from carrying equipment safely, crossing the road, identifying plants that could harm them and understanding that nobody else is allowed to cause them any harm.


  • Health and hygiene are parts of our curriculum so we teach the children about germs; how they spread and how we can stop them e.g., correct hand washing; using a tissue.  We also talk about healthy eating, cleaning our teeth; safety out in the sun and their need for sleep (in their own bed!) and exercise.


  • We support you and your child through potty training, offering help and advice.  We will tell you if we think your child is showing the signs of being ready for potty training and the praise the Pebbles children receive when they grasp potty training is immense!


  • We achieve the children’s sense of self (SOS) through ensuring the children are aware of what makes a happy environment in which to play, learn and make friends.  These behaviours are often the focus of our stars of the week e.g., listening to others, being kind and helpful, looking after our toys and books, keeping each other safe….


  • We encourage the children to express their own emotions and identify how others are feeling through the use of our feeling’s spoons, using Makaton signs for happy, sad, worried, etc., encouraging the children to read facial expressions and body language so they know how others are feeling and can think of ways to help.


  • We access Early Help professional or point families in the right direction to do so themselves if a need arises in the family which is beyond our level of support.


FOOD

Snack including drinks

We provide a varied and mainly healthy snack choice that the children choose and help to prepare.  Sometimes snacks are themed to link in with our topics e.g. harvest, countries around the world, etc.  We like to provide the children with a range of foods that they may not try at home but do at Pebbles because they see other children eating them.  We have discovered quite a few like olives and pickled gherkins, which we did not expect!


Morning snack is at 10am and the children normally have a biscuit for afternoon snack at 2pm.


Water and milk are available for the children to drink at any point in the day, so they do not need to be provided with any drinks.


Hot school dinners

As we are on a school site, we are able to offer hot school dinners, provided to us by the school kitchen at a cost of £2.25 or if your child is entitled to 2-year-old funding or Early Years Pupil Premium we will cover the cost.


This is the link to the school dinner menu on the school website.  It is up-dated every three to four weeks.

https://standrews.chorusschools.uk/lunches/


We do not need any advance notice if your child requires a school dinner as long as we know before 9.30 on the morning of the day they require it.


Healthy packed lunches

If you do not opt-in to the school dinners, then you need to provide your child with a packed lunch.  We do insist that the children eat the healthy elements of their packed lunch first and we do ask that they are provided with fruit and/or raw vegetables and that no sweets are included except for a small amount of chocolate.

PARENT PARTNERSHIP

Starting at Pebbles

We very much encourage visits to Pebbles before your child starts with us. Your child knowing that you feel comfortable in the setting and with the other children and staff is a very important part of them settling. 


We offer two free settling in sessions, hoping parents will stay for at least part of the first, put they are welcome to come for more than one session if it is felt the child needs this to help them settle more quickly.


Two-way Communication

  • We ask that you complete an ‘All about me’ and talk to your child’s key person when they start so we have knowledge of your child’s family, pets, favourite activities etc.
  • We send home emails containing photos of your child at Pebbles so you can see what they are getting up to.
  • We also ask for photos or information about things they have done with you so that we can have quality conversations about them and share them with the other children if your child feels confident to do so.
  • We provide a termly guidance sheet within your child’s library bag to help you develop a special shared reading time with your child that will develop enjoyment and understanding of books and reading. 
  • A weekly parent mail, (including our ‘Stars of the Week) is posted on this website so that you can talk to your child about what they have been doing, especially if they are a STAR. 


Stay and Plays

We have termly ‘Stay and Play’ weeks where you can spend an hour or so at Pebbles with your child, seeing how they interact with others; what they like to do at Pebbles; as well as looking at their Learning Journey and talking to their key person.  This is a time for sharing achievements; raising any concerns and gaining advice (if it is needed) as well as identifying other sources of support for your child and family (Early Help).


Two-year check

It is a statutory requirement that we complete a two-year-old check with your child at some point between their second and third birthday.  We invite parents to come to a specific meeting so that your child’s progress, strengths and areas of development can be discussed.


School Road Map

At the last ‘Stay and Play’ session you attend before your child goes to school, we provide you with a ‘School Road Map’ that shows how ready your child is for school and provides things they can work on before starting.

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