The Curriculum

"Bo-peep Corner offers an excellent starting point for education." - parent

Personal, Social & Emotional Development

This area of learning is very important for young children in all aspects of their lives. It is about children’s emotional well-being, understanding who they are, respecting others and their environment, making friends, beginning to understand emotions and about developing positive dispositions to learn. Good development in personal, social and emotional development gives children the best opportunity for success in other areas of learning. Children are encouraged to develop independence, gain confidence, make choices and develop positive attitudes towards health, hygiene and safety.

Language Development
Language is crucial to living and learning. It is used to communicate with others, to share and express feelings, to give and obtain information and to understand ideas and develop thoughts. Children are encouraged to talk to one another and to staff, thereby extending their vocabulary and fluency of speech. They have frequent opportunities, in small and large groups, to listen to and join in with stories, rhymes and songs and to listen to and respond to music. They are encouraged to develop a love of books, to handle them appropriately and to become aware that the printed (and written) word has meaning and that books should be read from left to right. Opportunities are provided for children to experiment with a variety of drawing, painting and writing materials in order for them to engage in early attempts at writing and mark making.

Physical Development & Movement

A wide variety of small and large equipment provides the children with opportunities to extend their skills in running, hopping, jumping, climbing, balancing, kicking, throwing and catching. Taking part in physical play helps them to develop balance, control, co-ordination and awareness of size, space and direction. They can develop social skills such as turn-taking, sharing and co-operating as well as values such as trust, fairness and respect for others. Children are also supported in the development of fine motor skills by using, for example, pencils, paint brushes, construction materials, jigsaws, scissors etc, encouraging them to handle small objects with increasing control and confidence.

Early Mathematical Experiences 

As children take part in play and other activities, they are supported by staff in developing an understanding of number, shape, space, size and quantity, pattern, sequencing/time and counting. They are encouraged to learn and use mathematical language and to solve problems as they play, to sort, match, count and become familiar with/recognise numbers.

The Arts

Through play, children explore a wide range of resources – natural and man-made – and have opportunities to experiment with colour, shape, pattern and texture. They develop self-esteem, confidence and language through role-play situations and begin to value their own and other children’s work, ideas and feelings. They learn songs, listen to and respond to music and make their own music by singing, clapping and playing simple percussion instruments.

The World Around Us

Children are naturally curious about their environment and the people around them and frequently ask questions. They are encouraged to explore, investigate and select materials and equipment as they play. They begin to recognise parts of the body and identify a range of familiar sounds, talk about themselves, their families and events in their lives both past and present. They learn about the weather, seasons, how to observe and respect living things, caring for the environment and about the multi-cultural world we live in.