Teaching and Learning

🌼 Early Years Foundation Stage at Nursery

At Wheelwright Lane, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), giving children the very best start to their learning journey. Our curriculum is built around play, exploration, curiosity and creativity. Children learn by playing, exploring, being active, and thinking creatively and critically—both indoors and outdoors. Every day is filled with meaningful opportunities to discover, investigate and grow.

🌟 Learning Through Play and Purposeful Teaching

In our play-based environment, children develop important skills, build new knowledge and show their understanding through hands on, practical experiences. Alongside high quality child initiated play, we also offer adult led small group sessions to help children develop focused skills, build confidence and prepare them for the routines and expectations of school.

🔤 A Language Rich Environment

Communication and language sit at the heart of everything we do. We provide:

•A language rich environment full of stories, songs, conversations and new vocabulary

•Daily opportunities for children to talk, listen and share ideas

•The Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics programme to build early phonological awareness, support speech and language, and lay the foundations for early reading. These early experiences help children become confident communicators and enthusiastic early readers.

🌱 The Prime Areas of Learning

Children begin by developing strong foundations in the three Prime Areas—the building blocks for all future learning:

🗣️ Communication and Language

Listening, speaking and understanding through rich interactions, play and stories.

🏃 Physical Development

Strength, coordination and control through active play indoors and out.

😊 Personal, Social and Emotional Development

We foster warm, caring relationships so children feel safe, secure and ready to learn. Our nurturing staff support children to understand their feelings, build friendships and develop confidence.

📘 The Specific Areas of Learning

Once secure in the Prime Areas, children explore the four Specific Areas:

🔤 Literacy

Enjoying books, rhymes, early writing and storytelling.

🔢 Mathematics

Exploring numbers, shapes, patterns and problem solving.

🌍 Understanding the World

Learning about nature, people, places, technology and community.

🎨 Expressive Arts and Design

Creating, imagining and experimenting through music, art, dance and role play.

🤝 Strong Relationships & Smooth Transitions

We pride ourselves on fostering excellent relationships with children and families. We work closely with parents to support learning at home and to create a secure, happy nursery experience. We also have strong links with our Reception team, allowing children to visit Reception classrooms, meet staff and become familiar with the school environment. This ensures a calm, confident transition into the next stage of their education.

💛 Tailored Learning for Every Child

These seven areas of learning guide everything we plan. Our staff design activities that are carefully matched to each child’s unique needs, interests and next steps.

Our aim is for every child to become:

•Independent

•School ready

•Confident in our Learning Behaviours (brave, curious, collaborative, determined and resilient)

Together, we create a nurturing, exciting and supportive environment where every child can flourish.

At Wheelwright Lane, we want every child to experience a rich and exciting Early Years curriculum filled with opportunities they may not always have at home. These experiences help children grow in confidence, develop new interests, and build important life skills.

Here are some of the ways we broaden children’s experiences:

📚 School Library Visits

Children visit our school library twice a week to enjoy a wide range of books, listen to stories, and explore new authors. This helps develop a love of reading, sparks imagination, and introduces children to language they may not hear at home.

🌳 Woodland Adventures

Our large woodland area gives children the chance to explore nature, play outdoors, and learn through hands on experiences. From den building to bug hunts, these activities support physical development, curiosity, and confidence in the natural world.

🚌 Trips and Visitors

We offer a variety of trips and invite special visitors into school to help children learn about the world around them. This may include:

•Farm visits

•Local park or nature walks

•Visits from community helpers (e.g. police, fire service)•Animal encounters

•Storytellers, musicians, or artists

•Trips to the local library

These experiences help children make real life connections and discover new interests.

🎨 Creative and Practical Experiences

Children enjoy activities such as cooking, gardening, exploring musical instruments, and taking part in cultural celebrations. These kinds of experiences support independence, creativity, and understanding of different people and communities.

🗣️ Developing Language and Confidence

We use stories, songs, role play, and discussions to develop children’s communication skills. This helps them express themselves, ask questions, and build confidence in speaking and listening.🌼 Everyday Life SkillsChildren learn practical skills such as baking, tidying up, putting on their coats, dressing independently and using cutlery. These help build independence and support them in becoming school ready.

🌼 Everyday Life Skills

Children learn practical skills such as baking, tidying up, putting on their coats, dressing independently and using cutlery. These help build independence and support them in becoming school‑ready.

Wheelwright Lane Primary School and Nursery

Wheelwright Lane Primary School
and Nursery