What Makes Totterdown Special

We at Totterdown Follow the EYFS, this is a statutory requirement of all early years providers.

In order for you to fully understand what this document contains, please click on this link which will take you to a parents guide…

Revised_What-to-expect-in-the-EYFS-complete-FINAL-16.09-compressed.pdf

With this document in mind, (along with Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education), we incorporate clear boundaries and routines and provide extra provision which allows us to support and fulfil the needs of all children, whilst abiding by all statutory frameworks. In addition to this

All practitioners are paediatric first aid trained (12 hours).
All practitioners are trained in Food Hygiene Level 2.
We keep our ratios below the expected requirement of the EYFS.

Below are the additional strategies we employ by which we ensure childrens early learning is kept to the highest standards and meets all of the childrens requirements, both academically, socially, emotionally and physically.

Think Equal
Yoga
Emotional regulation
Forest School
Parachute games
Circle time
Bucket time
Visual prompts
Dough disco
Wellcomm
Talk Boost

Think Equal

Think Equal is a global initiative that calls for a system change in education, to end the discriminatory mindset and the cycle of violence across our world and ensure positive life outcomes for our children. Together with world experts Think Equal has designed a programme to teach social and emotional learning to early years (3-6 year-olds). Think Equal’s vision is a safe, free, equal, cohesive and sustainable world. Where young people are provided with a profound grounding in equality, empathy, peaceful conflict resolution, gender equality, self-esteem, critical thinking, environmental protection, inclusion, problem-solving, celebration of diversity, emotional literacy, self regulation and collaboration . The concrete tools are provided with which to build a strong foundation for individual and societal progress, making communities safer, healthier, more equal and just.

Each week we have a new book. It is a picture book designed to help children learn to foster empathy, equitability, self-confidence and self-esteem and critical thinking skills. We read the book and carry out an activity. The book is then re-read throughout the week, along with group activities and discussions.

EYFS link: PSED-

Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary.

Yoga

During the day, times can get busy and full on. It is our belief that sometimes we all need to come together and have some quiet time. To reset our minds and bodies. This helps the children to stretch, feel a sense of calm, relax, and a time to calm the mind. To do this we use a book called ‘The Purrfect Pawse’, ‘Cosmic Kids’, or ‘Mini Me Yoga’ cards to aid and support learning in this skill.

EYFS link: Physical:

Support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being.

Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage the emotions you feel.

Our preschool is based around teaching children to self- regulate. We wholeheartedly believe that children who can manage their own emotions, will become emotionally secure adults that have the resilience needed for what life may bring. Children are shown how to take a breath, use a tool to help them to feel a sense of calm, name their emotion and then find an acceptable way to express them in the future. We believe that every emotion expressed is the childs way of telling us something and we teach them that all emotions are valid.

EYFS link: PSED:

Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self. They learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.

Forest School

Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.

We have a fully qualified teacher, who comes in and runs our sessions. She plans a comprehensive program for each term, which allows children to grow and build on their previous knowledge.

EYFS link: Understanding the World:

The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them.

EYFS link: Physical Development:

…starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness

Parachute Games

Parachute game help children to engage in games as a group, they promote teamwork, creativity, and learning through fun activities.

We love parachute games and all take part together. Children learn to play co-operatively together; they learn to listen and follow instructions; take turns and learn the rules of games.

EYFS link: PSED:

Through supported interaction with other children, they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably.

Circle Time

Circle time is a structured period during the day where children sit together in a group to participate in a variety of activities. This communal setting allows for inclusive participation, ensuring every child feels seen and heard. It is also a good stepping stone for when they will be sitting surrounded by children at school, whether it be in class or in an assembly, and still be able to listen and keep to their own space.

Circle time / group time helps to develop social skills, they help children to interact with their peers in a positive and supportive environment. The activities we create are designed to foster sharing, cooperation, and empathy. Children might take turns sharing their favourite stories or collaborating on a group song. These interactions help children learn important social behaviours, such as taking turns, listening to others, and expressing their feelings appropriately. As a result, they become more adept at building and maintaining healthy relationships, which are essential for their future success both in and out of school.

EYFS link: Communication and Language:

Through conversation, storytelling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.

EYFS link: PSED:

Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others.

Through supported interaction with other children, they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.

Whilst at Totterdown some children may also participate in other directed activities to help develop skills in attention and listening or to encourage speech and language development. These may include Bucket time, dough disco, Talk Boost, Wellcomm and also include the use of visual aids. As a setting we also incorporate some Makaton signs into our everyday language to aid understanding.

Bucket Time

Bucket Time is a structured attention activity that uses a bucket filled with visually exciting objects to build children’s attention, communication, and shared enjoyment in adult‑led sessions. It is comprised of 4 stages that the children work through.

Dough Disco

Dough Disco is a fun and engaging activity that combines hand exercises with music to help develop the child’s fine motor skills, which are essential for writing and other important tasks.

Strengthens hand muscles: Helps with pencil grip and writing skills.
Improves coordination: Enhances finger control for better dexterity.
Boosts concentration: Encourages focus through movement and rhythm.
Encourages creativity: Children have fun while developing essential skills.

Early Talk Boost

Early Talk Boost is a targeted programme aimed at 3-4 year old children who need help with speaking skills and understanding words. Most importantly, the programme helps to boost their language skills to narrow the gap between them and their peers. The programme aims to accelerate children’s progress in language and communication by an average of 5 months after 9 weeks.

Visual Prompts

Visual prompts are images, symbols, or objects used to guide behaviour, support learning, and enhance understanding. Visual prompts can be a photograph, illustration, icon, object of reference or other visual representation used to indicate a task, action, or routine. Unlike spoken instructions, which are fleeting, visual prompts remain in place, giving learners a concrete reference they can return to as needed.

Visual prompts help reduce anxiety, promote independence, and build confidence by making expectations clear and accessible

WellComm

WellComm is a speech and language toolkit aimed for children between the ages of 6 month to 6 years, which helps identify children who may present with speech and language barriers early. It is a form of assessment that can be used to make a referral if necessary, but also gives guidance on which areas of speech could be targeted within preschool.

EYFS link: Communication and Language:

The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. Children’s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development. The number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing, and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive. Through conversation, storytelling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.

EYFS link: PSED:

Children’s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others. Through supported interaction with other children, they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life.

Daily Routine

We believe that children thrive when they have a consistent routine and a consistent set of boundaries and expectations. Every day follows the same basic routine and children feel safe as they know what is happening.

9.00: Children arrive at preschool and are greeted at the door. They practice their independence by finding their coat peg and hanging up their coat, putting their water bottle on the trolley and planting their self-registration flower.

9.30: Carpet time, consisting of a warm-up song, taking the register, counting the registration flowers and identifying the day of the week.

10.00: Rolling snack is on offer. Outside is opened

11.40: Tidy up time and carpet time (stories, rhymes etc)

12.00: Some children go home, the other children prepare for lunch by washing their hands and sitting down. A two-course hot lunch is served.

1.00: Carpet time, afternoon registration, story. Outside is open.

2.00: Afternoon snack is offered

2.30: Tidy up time and group activity.

3.00: Children go home

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Daily Routine