Our Curriculum
"The curriculum encompasses all of the experiences, knowledge, and skills we wish for children to acquire. We recognise the necessity of aligning it with the educational standards outlined in the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (EYFS)" Emma Jones
At The Nursery, we provide a broad and balanced curriculum. Our focus on Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts ensures that each child’s unique needs are met. We believe in the importance of play and active learning, fostering critical thinking through the Characteristics of Effective Learning. With regular observations captured in our online journal, Tapestry, we create an environment that supports every child's journey towards reaching their full potential.​
The values encompass all that we believe to be important in the education and development of our children and reflect the broad range of skills, knowledge, and attitudes children need as foundations for life now and in the future.​When you book a tour with us, we will discuss how we observe, assess and plan activities for your child.​, the educational frameworks we use and how we support learning at home.
What is Hygge and why does this underpin our nursery curriculum and ethos?​
Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) is a delightful Danish concept centred on finding wellbeing through the comforts of daily life. the home, it embodies the art of creating cosiness, happiness, and a warm sense of contentment—whether it's lighting a candle, snuggling under a blanket, or enjoying a cup of tea by the fire on a chilly day.​In early years settings, embracing hygge fosters a home-from-home environment, instilling a sense of security and wellbeing that helps children feel calm and confident as they explore and learn. Prioritising wellbeing is crucial for children's development, and research shows that nurseries that adopt a hygge approach experience positive effects on children's behaviour, promoting greater engagement and focus on their interests.
The core elements in order to create the hygge approach in an early years setting, consider the ten core elements highlighted by Meik Wiking (author of The Little Book of Hygge). We considered all of these when designing our vision, values and curriculum. ​
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Atmosphere – creating a cosy and relaxing, homely atmosphere
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Presence – focusing on their current interests in the present moment
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Pleasure – promoting happiness and wellbeing
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Equality – respect for others
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Togetherness – spending time with friends and family
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Gratitude – taking time to reflect and talk about what they are grateful for
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Harmony – enjoying playing together and not focusing on competitiveness
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Truce – learning to manage conflict and share experiences
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Comfort – a relaxing and comfortable environment
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Shelter – a space to relax​
When we found the building, it required a lot of vision to see through the cold office like rooms to what it has become today, a beautiful small, cosy and homely setting. The space enables us to focus on smaller groups of children, just 26 per day across the whole building. It lends itself perfectly to focus on slow pedagogy.
When we opened The Nursery, we were able to design and incorporate the hygge approach from the beginning, from the careful planning of the nursery’s layout using natural furniture, to the warm, neutral colours of the walls.Our rooms provide a cosy feeling with the use of cushions, rugs, soft blankets and lamps. Twinkly lights and soft glow lamps provide an ambient atmosphere for the children to explore and investigate in. We use these alongside the natural light that shines through the many windows.​
Our children are able to move activities around the rooms and to the outdoors. Hygge is all about enjoying the simple pleasures in life and the environment around us, so it’s important to enjoy the outdoors and to bring nature indoors, it is about connection. We take the children on nature walks and bring back natural resources such as fallen leaves, branches, feathers and flowers.
Children also enjoy doing simple activities like baking, planting flowers and reading stories.We understand that children progress and develop a lot better when we give them time to practise their skills in their own time, as much as they want to. We have just started our accreditation process, so keep an eye for progress and updates.