Area of learning

Curriculum intention

How we teach

Families and people who care for me

By the end of the child’s nursery education they should have begun to develop an understanding;

• that families are important for children growing up because they can give love, security and stability.
• the characteristics of healthy family life, commitment to each other, including in times of difficulty, protection and care for children and other family members, the importance of spending time together and sharing each other’s lives.
• that others’ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care.
• that stable, caring relationships, which may be of different types, are at the heart of happy families, and are important for children’s security as they grow up.
• that marriage represents a formal and legally recognised commitment of two people to each other which is intended to be lifelong.
• how to recognise if family relationships are making them feel unhappy or unsafe, and how to seek help or advice from others if needed.

• The environment reflects different cultures and beliefs.  When a child from a different culture attends the nursery we set up ‘cultural suitcases’.  We engage parents in this process.  The suitcase contains artefacts / objects that are important to the child and family’s culture and beliefs.  This allows the child to develop a sense of place, share the objects with peers and incorporate them into the environment for everyday play and learning.  Last year we had an Indonesian family and a Chinese family.
• The environment as part of core provision contains artefacts and clothing linked to a range of cultures and traditions.
• Books; fiction and non-fiction are readily available within the environment.  These reflect families from a range of cultures and with disabilities and additional needs.  Books covering same sex relationships and non-stereotyping books on occupations, heroes and family life are included in the offer.  These support tolerance and respect for differences.
• ‘Out and about’ sessions for parents take place weekly through the holiday periods.  These are open to any parent from the community.  This allows a range of families to come together for an enjoyable day.

Caring friendships

By the end of the child’s nursery education they should have begun to develop an understanding;

• how important friendships are in making us feel happy and secure, and how people choose and make friends.
• the characteristics of friendships, including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences and support with problems and difficulties.
• that healthy friendships are positive and welcoming towards others, and do not make others feel lonely or excluded.
• that most friendships have ups and downs, and that these can often be worked through so that the friendship is repaired or even strengthened, and that resorting to violence is never right.
• how to recognise who to trust and who not to trust, how to judge when a friendship is making them feel unhappy or uncomfortable, managing conflict, how to manage these situations and how to seek help or advice from others, if needed.

• The school has three rules ‘Be Safe’, ‘Be Respectful and ‘Be Responsible’, these are built into the curriculum and embedded in everyday practice.
• The school’s behaviour policy is embedded in restorative practice.  Children are taught to reflect on the consequences of their actions, how they can seek resolution and how they can alter their behaviour next time.  With the developmentally youngest children the adult models this key language and supports the child to rectify and develop strategies and skills to avoid further conflict and asked for help and support.
• The children regularly discuss and have modelled to them turn taking.  They vote on books at story time and songs at singing; they are taught to respect others choices when they differ from their own.
• The Outdoor Nursery, Forest & Beach school place significant emphasis on holistic development and have significant benefits on personal and social wellbeing.
• The curriculum is planned to support the long term mental health of our children; we aim to develop strategies that will support the children in their next stage of their educational journey and beyond.  Such as the promotion of ‘mind-set theory’, yoga and self-regulation techniques.

Respectful relationships

By the end of the child’s nursery education they should have begun to develop an understanding;

• the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs.
• practical steps they can take in a range of different contexts to improve or support respectful relationships.
• the conventions of courtesy and manners.
• the importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness.
• that in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including those in positions of authority.
• about different types of bullying and how to get help.
• what a stereotype is, and how stereotypes can be unfair, negative or destructive.
• the importance of permission-seeking and giving in relationships with friends, peers and adults.

• Language is not a barrier to learning at the school, all key workers use PECS symbols, visual cues and signs to support children.  This is also reflected in the environment.  Children often use the symbols to communicate with other their needs and wants.
• The school has a ‘cultural and beliefs’ plan which is published on the schools website so parents can access.  We celebrate different festivals and cultures, ranging from our Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter, Saints day such as St. George, Chinese New Year, the Hindu and Sikh festival of Diwali and the Jewish Festival of Hanukkah.  We also adjust our plan to recognise the faiths and cultures of children and families within the school and community.
• We recognise that Hornsea town is predominantly white British.  We have a successful partnership with Broomhall Nursery school in Sheffield.  This project allows children to compare and recognise differences in the area that they live and cultural diversity.
• The children regularly take part in voluntary service and charitable giving.  They are supported to think about others beyond their family circle who might need practical or financial help. We link this to cultural experiences, such as, visiting elderly people and also giving them harvest foods, giving poor people Zakat-ul-Fitr (money) at Eid-ul-Fitr, and helping Children in Need.
• Through restorative practice and circle time children are taught to reflect on the impact of the language they use and how it makes others feel.  Adults model the language and give prompts’ kind hands’ ‘use kind words’ etc.
• Adults model asking for consent.  For example when changing a child they will ask to remove nappy / pants and wipe and clean a child. The adult constantly talks through what they are doing and why when providing intimate care; respecting the child’s choices, concerns and promoting the child’s independence.

Online relationships

By the end of the child’s nursery education they should have begun to develop an understanding;

• that people sometimes behave differently online, including by pretending to be someone they are not.
• that the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to-face relationships, including the importance of respect for others online including when we are anonymous.
• the rules and principles for keeping safe online, how to recognise risks, harmful content and contact, and how to report them.

The school uses the developmentally appropriate teaching materials provided by childnet and the UK safer internet centre.

The story of Smarty the Penguin is used to explore

• pop ups and inappropriate pages
• asking for help when online
• chat rooms, gaming and cyber bullying

other stories and materials used explore

• SMART rules

-safe, meet, accepting, reliable, tell

Being safe

By the end of the child’s nursery education they should have begun to develop an understanding;

• what sorts of boundaries are appropriate in friendships with peers and others (including in a digital context).
• about the concept of privacy and the implications of it for both children and adults; including that it is not always right to keep secrets if they relate to being safe.
• that each person’s body belongs to them, and the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact.
• how to respond safely and appropriately to adults they may encounter (in all contexts, including online) whom they do not know.
• how to recognise and report feelings of being unsafe or feeling bad about any adult.
• how to ask for advice or help for themselves or others, and to keep trying until they are heard.
• how to report concerns or abuse, and the vocabulary and confidence needed to do so.
• where to get advice e.g. family, school and/or other sources.

• Children are taught to keep themselves safe, recognise when they need to ask for help and inform adults of their worries. The curriculum incorporates; home safety, NSPCC ‘Pants’ material, Stranger danger, road safety, beach & water safety.
• How to ask for help.
• Regular parent workshops are the places that support parents to understand their child’s learning, the curriculum and staying safe topics.
• The NSPCC ‘pants’ and the schools ‘keep safe’ curriculum empowers children to ‘say no’.