Green Dragon Primary School

In their time in Nursery and Reception, each child will gain his/her own independent knowledge, skills and interests through structured play activities. The learning environment is stimulating and challenging and provides appropriate and wide-ranging learning opportunities for the children to engage in at their own level. The child is at the centre and is the starting point for learning. In order to promote a holistic approach, the child’s previous experiences, their needs and interests and the unique way they learn have to be considered. 

All activities within the nursery generate language and staff use their expertise to extend and develop the children’s communication skills.

• During daily sharing time, children take part in conversations/discussions, discovering new words and phrases to help them express their ideas thoughts and feelings As they listen and talk in different situations, they learn to take turns and become aware of when to talk and when to listen.
• A love of books is fostered and children are given the opportunity to listen to, follow, read and discuss a variety of texts, sharing their likes and dislikes.
• Children are given the opportunity to develop their knowledge of letters, names and sounds in a wide range of activities including the use of computer software and the interactive whiteboard. Children are encouraged to develop their early writing skills in a variety of areas within the nursery. A specific writing area is available for children to experiment with drawing/ writing symbols, letters and words to convey their message.

Early numeracy and mathematical skills are developed through discussion, active play and engagement in activities throughout the nursery. A Maths area, interactive whiteboard and a range of computer software are available daily to provide a range of mathematical games/activities.

• Activities are provided for children to learn about shape, colour, size, number, making comparisons and predictions through playing games and puzzles which encourage mathematical awareness
• Children have the opportunity to explore numbers, understand that they represent quantities and develop their ability to count, create sequences and describe order
• Role play situations provide ideal opportunity for using mathematics in a real life situation e.g. setting up a shoe shop provides opportunities for measuring and comparing using standard and non standard units of measure, restaurants/café provides opportunities for handling money, recognising coins and adding/subtracting, fruit/veg shop develops understanding of weight through the use of scales etc.

Good health and wellbeing is central to effective learning and preparation for successful independent living.

• Through daily sharing time/circle times, children are given opportunities to share their ideas/feeling and are encouraged to listen and respond to others
• Through involvement in all activities, children are given opportunities to make friends and be part of a group in a range of situations
• Through the development of each child’s personal learning story they will celebrate their achievements, skills and individuality
• Daily opportunities are provided for children to participate in different kinds of energetic play both indoors and outdoors, e.g. outdoor climbing frame, bikes and scooters, indoor soft play, expressive movement/dance etc
• Through opportunities provided by physical play and healthy snack, children are becoming aware of healthy lifestyles and choices
• The importance of personal hygiene and health is promoted through daily routines and hand washing.

Children’s natural curiosity is harnessed and independence in learning is promoted. Opportunities are planned and provided to encourage them to ask questions, experiment, design/make and solve problems

• Children have the opportunity to use their senses to learn about their world around them e.g. on local trips with staff children will explore the natural environment closely using all their senses; to look at tiny buds on trees, to smell pine cones in the woods, to listen for different birds singing or touch various textures on twigs or stones
• Children have the opportunity to grow plants, learn how to look after them, harvest the produce and use them in a variety of ways e.g. planting flowers/ fruit/ vegetables, eating produce at the snack table, making and selling products for enterprise activities
• Children are made aware of the importance of caring for the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling resources e.g. composting food waste from snack, recycling paper products etc

What is the Forest School approach?

It's an approach that takes a long term sustained approach to outdoor learning. Forest schools seek to encourage, motivate, engage and inspire children through positive outdoor experiences. Forest schools are closely entwined with the concepts of free flow play and learning from play.

Forest School Aims: To provide an opportunity for individuals to develop, to learn and to enjoy themselves. To provide a safe and non-threatening environment in which children can take risks, make choices and initiate their own learning. To help children understand, appreciate and care for the natural environment.

What are the benefits of Forest School?

Forest School: 9 ways children benefit from learning and playing outside

• Building confidence and independence.
• Feeling empathy for others and nature.
• Physical fitness.
• Health benefits.
• Improved mental health. ... 
• Learning by experience. ... 
• Exposure to manageable risk.
• Better sleep and mood.

Tapestry is a secure online Learning Journal to record photos, observations and comments, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, to build up a record of a child’s experiences during their time with us. This system allows us to work with parents and carers to share information and record the children’s play and learning in and outside of the classroom.

We really hope that our parents enjoy using Tapestry and that it helps keep them feeling informed about their child’s learning.  If parents have any questions or problems using Tapestry then they can let Miss Malik our EYFS Lead know.

https://eylj.org/

Tapestry provides each individual child with their own Learning Journal held online. Parents and carers are given their own log-in using their email and password (which is pre-set by us but can be changed by you to make it more secure). All our staff are given a secure log-in. They can then upload observations, photos or videos; recording children’s achievements and assessing their learning in reference to the EYFS curriculum.

Parents can change their settings so that an email is then automatically generated informing them when an observation has been added so they can have a look and add any comments of their own.

Parents/carers can both access Tapestry by letting Nursery/Reception know any e-mail addresses that they wish to link with the system (limited to 2 per child).

They can choose to share their login details with extended family if they wish, so they can see their child’s Learning Journal.

Once parents/carers have given us an email address, we will set up an account for them. They should then go to https://eylj.org/ on their computer.

Or if they have an iPhone/iPad they need to visit the iTunes store and download the Tapestry app from the Education section (search for Tapestry Mobile).

If they have an Android/Tablet, they need to search for Tapestry learning journal and download.

Then all you need to do is login using your email address and the password we give you. We strongly recommend that you change your password on your first visit.

When you access Tapestry through mobile phone or tablet, please set a unique PIN when you log in for the first time. This will be required whenever you return to the application or after the screen has locked.

At the top right of your screen you will see your name, and selecting this will give you the option to ‘Edit Preferences’. Choose this option and you will be presented with a screen giving you the option to change your email address and password.

You also have the option to receive an email whenever a new observation is added to your child’s Learning Journal – just tick or untick the relevant box if you would like to change this setting.

To change your settings on the iPhone/iPad app, click the 'gear' button on the top right-hand side of the application. This enables you to change the password and/or email address.

Once logged in, you will see your child’s observations on your home screen in a list – selecting any one of these will open up the observation for you to look at. You may add comments in the box at the bottom of the observation if you would like to - and we would love to receive such comments!

The system will automatically send you an email when an observation for your child has been added.

Choose the ‘Add Observation’ option (or the 'plus' icon on your iPhone/iPad/Android) and add the relevant information in the boxes on screen. Photos and videos may be uploaded by choosing the ‘add media’ option. When you have saved your observation, you may go back to the home screen at any time by choosing ‘home’.

The EYFS staff have access to all of the children’s Learning Journals.  The only other people that can see your child’s account will be yourselves and anyone that you share your log in details with, such as Grandparents etc.  If your child is featured in a group observation, their photo may appear in another child’s Learning Journal.  If you do not want your child’s photo to be visible in anyone else’s account then please let us know.