The Early Years Foundation Stage marks a crucial stage in children’s early development. Children learn and develop at a faster rate from birth to five years old than at any other time in their lives, so their experiences during these formative years make a lifelong impact. Our approach centres around supporting children to approach their learning with curiosity, enthusiasm and energy, helping them to make links in their learning and apply their knowledge and skills to new situations with positivity.

We offer exciting areas for independent child initiated activities and high-quality teaching and learning both inside and outdoors. We encourage and guide children towards exploring early literacy and mathematical skills from the very beginning, whilst immersing them in opportunities that promote their creative development through a variety of art, music and imaginative play opportunities.

Much of this earlier learning is achieved through child-initiated play and carefully structured opportunities and experiences. Young children who cannot read or write often express their ideas and feelings through play. It is an important way of developing new skills and forging relationships with other children both individually and in groups.

Nursery

In our Nursery class, we primarily focus on the three prime areas:

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

These three areas reflect the skills and capacities we believe children need in order to learn effectively and are crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.

Every learning opportunity and experience allows children to experience thoughts and emotions whilst developing a sense of themselves and others. They are physically engaged through their senses and movements, and are learning to understand and communicate with others. Through these areas of learning and development, children access the world around them and the relationships they form with other people, and in turn, unlocks learning in all other areas.

Reception

In our Reception class, children are taught in a language-rich and inspiring learning environment. Each half-term, themes and questions are explored through lines of enquiry that follow the children’s interests; throughout the week, we pull together their learning from across the Early Years curriculum.

Kensington children thrive in an environment that develops their early literacy and mathematical skills. Engaging and intuitive teaching approaches ensure every child builds a strong foundation of learning which is vital to their future academic and personal success.

Children are provided with a range of rich, meaningful first-hand experiences in which they explore, think creatively and are active. We foster positive attitudes towards learning, approaching every moment with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm.