Intent, Implementation and Impact 

For every aspect of planning, teaching and the environment, staff consider; what they want each child to achieve, how they will achieve it and whether the approach has been successful. This cycle of ‘intent, implementation and impact’ enables staff to identify and adapt to which approaches work and those that don’t work.  

We always ensure there are play and learning opportunities relevant to every child, in order for them to learn and consolidate skills as well as finding new challenges which stretch and develop critical thinking. 

The 7 areas of learning 

The Early Years Foundation Stage 7 areas of learning and development, underpin the Early Years Curriculum. Our planning and indoor and outdoor environment are designed to reflect these learning areas. 

Communication and Language, the children are immersed in a language rich environment where quality interactions with adults and peers are central to every day practice. Beehive staff use techniques to comment on, model and extend language. When children are engaged, they absorb new words and ideas, so if they can learn Tyrannosaurus, why not metamorphosis or circumference? 

Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Happiness, wellbeing, building and maintaining friendships, confidence, understanding emotion, resilience, self-regulation, fairness, right and wrong, cooperation, sense of self, resolving conflict, patience and spontaneity are all things children are learning and achieving on a personal, social and emotional level every day. These are amongst the most important skills for building a secure foundation in school and later life. Beehive staff support children to negotiate these skills through sensitively putting ourselves in their shoes and using techniques such as modelling guidance, stories and role play.  

Physical Development, By establishing positive attitudes towards a healthy and active way of life, children learn about their bodies, the importance of physical activity, rest, healthy attitudes to food and self-care. Opportunities are always available to develop gross and fine motor movement. From tummy time and crawling, climbing and balancing to small world play and play dough, children develop their core strength, coordination and agility through continuous opportunities to practice, take risks and build confidence.  

Literacy, we aim to instil a love of books and reading through animated story telling, non-fiction books that interest the children and motivate them to ask questions, action rhymes, and poems. We often reflect books in our role play areas and encourage children to re-tell and extend on stories and themes. We listen to sounds and use rhythm, rhyme and intonation to help children begin to understand how words are formed. Written words are displayed to help children make connections for themselves as they recognise words have meaning. Opportunities to ‘mark make’ are always available from using fingers in the sand to big paint brushes and water outside on the walls.  

Maths, Confidence and a joy in all things mathematical is the foundation of our approach. From interactive counting rhymes to measuring ourselves against a dinosaur’s footprint. Much of the traditional Montessori activities use natural materials to present maths in a concrete way. Children can look for patterns, grade, compare, sort and count and we introduce objects and activities that motivating to the children, why count bricks when you can count tractors or gems? Children are encouraged to experiment and see mistakes as a good part of thinking and learning. By incorporating mathematical language to describe the world around us children have fun with the concepts, whether its big or small, massive or minuscule it should be fun. 

Understanding the World – Each child will come to pre-school with their own personal knowledge and experience of the world around them and this will be based on family make-up and culture, their own race, gender or if they have a disability, whether they have pets, community, whether the live in a town or the countryside, trips and holidays. Children’s understanding continues to develop with every idea and experience presented. At the Beehive we value these experiences and build on them and to extend children’s understanding and ‘culture capital’ by introducing new ideas and experiences. From nature, the environment, and the natural world, technology, the past and the present, different people and occupations, culture and the wider world.  

Through books, role play, food, celebrations and visitors we aim to enrich children’s lives. It may involve visits from local professionals a police officer, nurse, musician or beekeeper for example. We regularly take the children on nature walks across the field or up to the woods and incorporate visits to local destinations, church or farm, a pantomime or café. We also welcome parents and family members to share skills, a home language, cultural celebrations and occupations.  

Expressive Arts and Design – At the Beehive we value process over product, the arts incorporate all other areas of learning, so a big painting uses gross motor cross body movements, whilst cutting and sticking is a refined fine motor skill. When they’re ‘junk modelling’ or doing carpentry, they’re thinking about shapes and grading. When children are free to sing and dance, draw paint and create, it’s an opportunity for relaxation, self-expression building confidence. Free access to a wide range of materials, tools, and instruments to allow expression of ideas and communication of feelings.