Your Child's Learning Journey With Us
We aim for Hungerford Nursery School to be a place of possibilities where children are nurtured and where their individual interests and talents are valued and developed. As a result, we hope that children's well-being will be high and that they have a belief in themselves and their abilities. They will know that they are loved, that they are strong, capable and unique. They will have the resilience and the perseverance to keep on trying when things are challenging.
We want children to have the confidence to try new things, to take risks and be physically active. We want children to be able to communicate their ideas, beliefs and feelings. They will experience and remember a wide range of words through exposure to regular stories, rhymes and poems. They will develop the skills to make friends and show kindness to others. They will learn how to look after themselves, their friends, their school and the environment.
They will learn important mathematical and scientific concepts. They will develop an understanding and respect for the world around them and the world beyond. They will have a desire to learn and be ready for their next stage in education.
How do we observe children and monitor progress?
The approach we use to monitor learning and progress is called OP&L (Observation of Play & Learning).
OP&L does not involve spending unnecessary amounts of time writing lots of observations or gathering evidence of children's learning. We believe that if we are capturing the moment, we cannot be part of the moment. Instead, we have structures in place that enable teams to meet regularly and discuss each child and their learning, progress and next steps.
Observation of Play and Learning (OP&L)
Your child's learning and progress will be closely monitored in collaboration with you to ensure they are supported to reach significant milestones for their age.
OP&L was developed by BEYA (Barnet Early Years Alliance) and works on the basis of having very simple six-monthly child developmental milestones, which we use to monitor children's development. These milestones reflect what a 'typical child' should be able to achieve. However, we know that not all children will have 'typical' development.
OP&L allows us to tell and celebrate each child's story and focus on the support they need from us.
The observations and assessments that we make are called 'Spotlights'. We observe children's interactions, innovation, their creativity, ideas and intent. The insight that we gain enables us to discuss, reflect and plan our environment to support and shape future learning.
What you can expect
Your child will be allocated a keyworker at the start of the year. There will be several planned opportunities throughout the year for you to meet your child's keyworker to discuss your child and their learning and development:
Starting Point
Soon after you child has started nursery school, we will meet with you to talk about how your child has settled in and to share their 'Starting Point'. We will look at the child development milestones together to help you understand what is expected for your child's age and stage.
Spotlights
Each child will have two 'Spotlight' points during the academic year. These are organised according to their date of birth and are approximately 6 months apart. Spotlights are shared via our online app 'Learning Journals' where you can comment and ask questions about your child's spotlights. However, if there is anything you would like to discuss with your child's key worker face to face, staff will be happy to make an appointment for you to come in or have a telephone call.