Curriculum Intent

St Stephen's Early Years Intent and Rationale

St Stephen’s Nursery provides a challenging and rigorous curriculum for every child. Teachers plan each day in detail to include a broad range of learning opportunities for the children in their class. We use “Development Matters” as a guide and a programme of core books to link and layer the learning.

Our curriculum is based around the 7 areas of learning and development. Please click on the buttons below to find out more about each area.

Communication and  Language Physical Development Personal, Social and Emotional Development  

Literacy Maths Understanding the World Expressive Arts and Design 

The Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning

These characteristics underpin all planning of activities and provision in the nursery

• Playing and Exploring
• Active Learning
• Creating and Thinking Critically

In addition to our exciting daily provision, which gives the children plenty of hands-on learning experiences, staff deliver a focus activity inside and outside every day. There are adult-led carpet sessions at the beginning and end of every session – which include stories, circle games and nursery rhymes and during the spring term we include daily phonics sessions. There is a big emphasis in the nursery on outdoor learning, so the children spend as much time as possible in the garden, making the most of the fantastic facilities.