Nursery Curriculum Information
Term:Spring term 2025
EYFS Curriculum
The EYFS curriculum is divided into seven different areas of learning and development which are all important and inter-connected. These are:
Prime areas:
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Personal and Social Development
Plus, the other areas of:
Literacy (Reading, Writing)
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design
In Nursery we particularly focus on the three prime areas, as these lay the foundations for success in the other areas of learning.
As a Catholic school, we also teach RE.
Communication and Language
The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development.
This area involves developing Listening, Attention and Understanding and Speaking.
Examples of learning within this area include: listening to stories, talking to others, understanding instructions such as ‘Get your coat and wait by the door’ and asking and answering simple questions. Children will have lots of opportunities to extend their spoken language by using talk in their play such as saying “I’m going to the shops”, “You can sit here” and “What would you like for lunch?”.
In spring term, we will be taking part in different activities that will help to develop listening, concentration and attention skills. We be taking part in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention Nursery (NELI-N) which develops children’s oral language skills (scroll down for further information about NELI-N).
Physical Development
This area involves Moving and Handling and Health and self-care.
Examples of learning within this area include: developing movement and balance by riding scooters and bikes and developing ball skills. Using the play village and climbing equipment will also help to develop children’s gross motor skills. Children will also develop their self-help skills and learning to become independent by learning how to put their coats on and use zips and buttons. Children will be using simple one handed tools such as a paintbrush or pencil, throwing and catching a ball, using climbing equipment and being able to manage their own toileting needs. Children will also learn about making healthy choices about food, drink, and exercise.
In spring term, we will focus on using one-handed tools and equipment, for example, making snips in paper with scissors and using a pencil to draw and make marks.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
This area involves developing Self-confidence and Awareness, Feelings and Behaviour and Making relationships.
Examples of learning in this particular area include: children developing in confidence, beginning to understand how to manage their feelings and forming friendships with their peers.
In spring term, we will focus on working together in groups to build relationships and take turns. We will also learn about how to look after our teeth.
Literacy
This area involves Reading and Writing.
It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading.
To develop language comprehension children will have lots of opportunities to take part in extended conversations about the stories they hear and also learn new vocabulary. To develop word reading children will be taught that print can have many different purposes and is not just seen in books. Children will learn the names for different parts of the book and how to handle books correctly to help them understand sequencing. Children will also develop their phonological awareness by taking part in activities where they listen for different sounds and also playing segmenting and blending games. For example, the adult says ‘put your hands on your b-a-ck’ and the children touch their backs.
In writing children will use their print and letter knowledge in their early writing through their play by writing for a range of purposes. For example, when writing shopping lists, birthday cards or labelling a picture they have drawn.
Nuffield Early Language Intervention Preschool (NELI-P)
In spring term, we are very excited to be taking part in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention Preschool (NELI-P). This is a 20-week oral language programme, centred around storybook reading, which is designed to improve the oral language skills of children in Nursery. Each week focuses on a different book – a mixture of traditional folk tales, contemporary stories and non-fiction – and is comprised of activities to encourage the development of a rich vocabulary and ability to listen to, tell and enjoy stories.
Our NELI-P texts will become our Literacy lessons this term. The texts we will be reading in the spring term are as follows:
Neon Leon
Pip and Posy the Bedtime Frog
Don’t Wake Up Tiger
The Three Little Pigs
Copy Cat
Toby and the Tricky Things
Cinderella
How to Look After Your Dinosaur
Lionel and the Lion’s Share
Little Red Riding Hood
The Boy and the Bear
NELI-P home learning activities
Each week parents will receive a newsletter to inform you of the weekly text and key vocabulary that the children have learnt during the week. Please can you work with your children each week, asking them to use the pictures and tell you what happened in the story.
Mathematics
This area involves learning Numbers and Shape, Space and Measure.
In the spring term we will be learning about numbers up to 5. We will be subitising, counting and looking at the composition of these numbers through practical hands-on activities such as playing games like hide and seek and What’s the time Mr Wolf.
We will be looking at and understand that the last number reached when counting a small set of objects tells us how many there are in total. Children will experiment with their own symbols and marks as well as numerals. They will have the opportunity to solve real world maths problems up to 5 and compare quantities using more than and fewer than language.
We will be exploring 2D and 3D shapes using mathematical language such as straight, corners, flat, round. We will look at position through words alone for example the bag is under the table, describe a familiar route – discuss routes and locations using in front of and behind.
We will be making comparisons between objects relating to size, length, weight and capacity. Children will explore building with bricks, selecting shapes appropriately, for example flat surfaces for building, a triangular prism for a roof etc and combining shapes to make a new one.
We will be talking about and identifying patterns around us – for example stripes on clothes designs on rugs and wallpaper. Use language pointy, spotty, blobs to describe patterns. During our NELI-P work about Neon Leon we will finding different patterns that a chameleon can camouflage into. Children will also begin to describe a sequence of events real or fictional using words such as first and then. This will also be linked to our NELI-P work when retelling stories.
Understanding the World
This area involves learning about People and Communities, The World and Technology.
Children will talk about their own families, learn about different occupations, understand that there are different countries in the world and develop positive attitudes about the differences between people. They will learn about the natural world, looking at life cycles of butterflies as we take care of caterpillars in class before releasing the fully grown butterflies outside.
In the Spring term we will be linking our learning to the texts covered in our NELI sessions. We will begin by looking at chameleons and other animals that can camouflage.
During the text "Don't wake up Tiger", we will be looking at animals and their habitats. We will also focus on the word float so children will be given the opportunity to investigate different objects that float and sink.
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Expressive Arts and Design
This area involves learning about Media and Materials and Being Imaginative.
Children can express themselves by selecting their own resources whether it be through the media of music, dance, art or role-play. They will use different materials and textures to express themselves and experiment with colour mixing. Children will also have the opportunity to use their imagination to create their own ‘small world’ scenes using building blocks and constructions and act out different emotions in their play.
In the spring term we will be linking our learning to the texts covered in our NELI sessions. We will begin by making our own chameleons using different patterns and textures. For example, painting with bubble wrap and using natural materials.
Children will also have the opportunity to make their own colour changing bracelets using beads. This activity will link to our learning about the natural world and how the sun is needed to change the colours of the beads.
Religious Education
We use the Come and See scheme of work to teach R.E.
In R.E lessons this term our topics will be Celebrating, Gathering and Growing.
Celebrating: Children will begin this topic by sharing different celebrations that they have been part of. We will then talk about the Parish family and celebrations that take place in church. Children will then listen to the story of the presentation of Jesus in the temple and retell this through role play.
Gathering: We will start this topic by discovering what activities children and families like to do together. We will then recap what the word parish family means and talk about the parish family gathering together for Sunday mass and listen to God’s word.
Growing: We will start this topic by recognising growth in nature by talking about and observing things that grow in the spring time. During this topic we will be planting seeds and looking after them so they can grow. We will learn about the season of Lent; and talk about how it is a time for growing in love. We will finish the topic by learning the story of what happened to Jesus on Good Friday and how we look forward to Easter.
Catholic Social Teaching
Throughout the year, OLM focuses on different elements of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). Each half term we look at a different theme and discuss what each one means:
Autumn 1 - Care of Creation
Autumn 2 - Preferential Option for the Poor
Spring 1 - Solidarity and Peace
Spring 2 - Community and Participation
Summer 1 - Dignity of Workers
Summer 2 - Human Dignity
We also learn about other faiths with weeks throughout the year teaching about Judaism and Islam.
Tapestry
Tapestry is an online learning journal to show your child's learning journey and development in their Nursery year. You will be able to access this from home in order to look at photographs, videos and notes following your child's time at school. Please check this regularly.
How to help at home
You can support your child with the early stages of reading, writing and mathematics by:
- Continuing to encourage an enjoyment of books, stories and poems; reading and sharing the class library text sent home and by visiting the local library.
- Continuing to encourage your child to join in with rhymes and songs.
- Continuing to provide your child with a variety of writing equipment to encourage drawing and writing skills, encouraging your child to give meanings to the marks that they make.
- counting everyday items such as biscuits or solving simple problems like sharing out food.
