Foundation Stage One (Nursery)
Funded places available!
The planned nursery provision 2025 & proposed developments using DFE funding aim to address the growing demand for high-quality early years education in our community. After consultation, the local authority has provided backing. This backing follows their childcare sufficiency assessment, concluding by September 2025 when the entitlement increases to 30 hours there would be insufficient places in our area for the younger age range. The local authority concluded that the creation of three and four year old places at Aston All Saints would enable increased capacity for younger children.
We are offering funded 15 hour and 30 hour places. We are also offering the option to 'top up' 15 hour sessions to full days by paying for additional sessions. We are working closely with our outside providers to add FS1 nursery age child places to our Wraparound Care offer.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
Planned Nursery Curriculum
At Aston All Saints, our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum is designed to provide a robust educational framework that engages and nurtures the growth of young learners. Our sequenced curriculum comprehensively covers the seven areas of learning and development, as delineated by the statutory framework for EYFS. We have meticulously crafted our educational programmes into a progression framework that spans from the Nursery to the Reception year, thereby ensuring a direct correlation to the learning objectives set out in Key Stages 1 and 2.
In this framework, we have segmented the educational programmes into well-defined skills and core knowledge statements, which are designed to be taught sequentially. This structured approach facilitates children in achieving the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) by the conclusion of their Reception year. We utilise non-statutory guidance, including Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters, which further informs our curriculum development through age-banded milestones. The projects incorporated within our curriculum are tailored specifically for children aged 3-4 years and those in the Reception year.
Our EYFS content is delivered through a series of cross-curricular, knowledge-rich projects. These include main projects that typically last between four to six weeks, alongside shorter mini-projects spanning one to two weeks, allowing for adaptability based on the evolving needs and interests of the children. Collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) is essential when selecting the projects to be delivered, ensuring a tailored approach that meets our diverse cohort's requirements. We provide a breadth of projects to facilitate two cycles of learning, with each project encompassing content suitable for both Nursery and Reception.
Central to our pedagogy is the notion of effective teaching strategies, which encompass a variety of approaches such as play-based learning, adult modelling, guided learning, and direct teaching. Our practitioners are dedicated to creating an enabling environment that supports high-quality play experiences, allowing children to explore and invent their own play while also receiving necessary adult support in both the indoor and outdoor classroom spaces. Our excellent outdoor area will be a vital component of this provision, significantly enhancing children’s learning and development through opportunities for exploration, physical activity, and sensory experiences. This dynamic space will allow children to engage with nature and develop their social skills and creativity in a stimulating environment.
As children transition through the EYFS, they are provided with increased opportunities for guided learning and direct teaching, essential for equipping them with the knowledge and skills required to meet the Early Learning Goals. Each skills and core knowledge statement within our curriculum framework is designed to deepen children's understanding of the EYFS educational programmes, ensuring clear links with the national curriculum’s Programme of Study.
Our planned projects contain comprehensive resources, including linked ELGs and core knowledge statements, detailed lesson descriptions, practical resources, enhanced provision activities, and suggested teaching prompts. Each project also features a 'Did you know?' resource to stimulate curiosity, a curated book list for educators and families, and opportunities for educators to tailor lesson content according to their children's specific needs.
Our experienced headteacher (also EYFS Lead across DSAT Trust schools) plays a pivotal role in the quality assurance of our provision, closely monitoring curriculum content and impact in alignment with Trust management. This involves ensuring that staff deliver coherent coverage of the Areas of Learning, smooth transitions between year groups, and that every child has ample opportunities to excel as effective learners. Regular professional development ensures that our educators possess the requisite pedagogical knowledge to optimally support the learning journeys of early years children.