CURRICULUM

‘The ways in which the child engages with other people and their environment- playing and exploring, active learning, and creating, and thinking critically – underpin learning and development across all areas and support the child to remain an effective and motivated learner’ (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, 2012).

The Early Years Department takes very seriously our responsibility for igniting passion for lifelong learning in our youngest children. The children are at the centre of everything we do and this is reflected with our carefully planned learning opportunities which are stimulating and challenging.

The Early Years Foundation Stage programme aims to give children lots of first-hand opportunities to learn about themselves, each other and the world around them. The emphasis is on the process of learning rather than the ‘product’ – how individual children learn is very important. Our planning is created by following the different stages of development as laid out in the EYFS Curriculum. The seven areas include: literacy; mathematics; expressive arts and design; personal, social and emotional development; communication and language; understanding of the world; and physical development. At KIS we value the importance of learning through play. Play is an integral part of a child’s learning experience. Days are filled with indoor and outdoor opportunities with teachers encouraging interest, enthusiasm and conversation throughout. Teachers provide a healthy balance between adult-led activities, which may have very specific learning objectives and a ‘continuous curriculum’ with structured opportunities for independent, child- initiated learning. Each child is nurtured and

respected as an individual, with the teachers supporting their particular distinctive needs. A broad range of exciting, age appropriate and hands on activities are offered to ensure the development of the ‘whole child’.