Our Educational Approach

The Reggio Approach

The Reggio approach is based on the principle that children must have some control over the direction of their learning. Children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing and hearing. Children have relationships with other children and with material items in the world that children must be allowed to explore.

The central reason that a child must have control over his or her day to day activity is that learning must make sense from the child's point of view.
Reggio traditionally works with-in the community and encourages parental involvement. We have a circle of friends which is made up of the community members and businesses that the children interact with when projects are relevant. Parents are encouraged to share skills, to view documentation and to have an input into the nursery running. Parents are also viewed as highly valued teachers to their children and are respected as such. 
The Reggio environment is referred to as the third teacher and is crucial to the Reggio programme. The major aim is to provide an environment that encourages exploration and has many opportunities for the children to be creative.

The curriculum is based on projects that are based on real life problem solving among peers with numerous opportunities for creative thinking and exploration. The topic investigation may derive from observations of the children's play or on the basis of interest or social concern.
Projects begin with staff observing and questioning the children about a topic of interest. Based on the children's responses, teachers introduce materials, questions and opportunities that provoke children to further explore the topic. Projects are documented and directly related to the early year's foundation stage

Child Development

The staff at Sunflowers will record, and celebrate your child's achievements; we do this by recording your child's development and progress through Observations, Timed Observations, Photo's and Assessments.
Our Observations will help us identify your child's strengths and areas for development; also we will identify their interests and the way in which they learn. Your child's key person will be actively promoting progress through individual next steps.
Your child's record is called The Learning DiariesĀ and will give you information about how your child is achieving within the Early Years Foundation Stage and are available for Parents/Carers to view in your child's play room. Learning Diaries will be sent home on regular occasions, we encourage parents and carers to contribute to the diary.
The Early Years foundation Stage covers the period from 0-until the end of the reception year at school, your key person will record your child's progress through the 3 Prime area's and 4 Specific area's of development.

Prime areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Communication and Language
Physical Development

Specific areas

Mathematics
Literacy
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Designs

You will be provided with further information for your guidance about the Early Years Foundation stage on admission.