At Stower Vale Preschool, we offer a flexible and holistic curriculum that balances adult-led and child-initiated learning. Children engage in playful, practical experiences connected to real-life contexts, fostering meaningful and lasting learning. Our inclusive, nurturing, home-from-home environment sets high expectations while supporting each child’s individual pace of development. We believe that play is central to learning; it is purposeful, inclusive, and engaging, providing the pathway through which children explore, discover, and develop deep and enduring understanding
Personal, Social and Emotional
Recognise their own sense of self and take pride in both their similarities and differences with others.
Play independently and collaboratively, developing positive relationships with peers.
Express preferences and make decisions confidently.
Share, take turns, and resolve conflicts appropriately.
Develop an understanding of and respect for British values.
Build resilience, confidence, and a “can-do” attitude, showing willingness to try new experiences.
Demonstrate independence, manage their own emotions, and understand the feelings of others, showing care and compassion.
Achieve independence in self-help skills, including toileting.
Show confidence in a variety of social situations, engage with unfamiliar people, and develop a sense of belonging within their community.
Understand and follow simple rules and expectations within play and daily activities.
At Stower Vale Preschool, our environment and resources are carefully selected to promote independence and provide children with opportunities to make choices and decisions.
We foster children’s self-worth and confidence by allowing them to take appropriate risks and supporting them as they develop new skills and abilities.
Positive relationships with staff and peers are nurtured by encouraging children to resolve conflicts independently and by teaching them to be caring, kind, and respectful toward others.
Children are guided to show compassion and consideration, learning to think of others and act responsibly in their interactions.
A sense of responsibility is encouraged through meaningful roles and routines, such as helping at snack time and tidying resources to support open-ended play for all.
At Stower Vale Preschool, every child’s voice and opinion is valued; we consistently provide opportunities for conversation and encourage children to express themselves and share their ideas.
We celebrate each child’s individuality and promote respect for similarities and differences, including race, religion, and abilities, fostering an inclusive and accepting environment.
Communication and Language
At Stower Vale Preschool, children are supported to develop excellent listening skills, enabling them to engage attentively with others and their surroundings.
Children enhance their vocabulary within a rich language environment, through meaningful communication, interaction, and engagement with stories.
They are encouraged to ask questions and demonstrate curiosity, fostering deeper understanding and expanding their learning.
Children develop a strong comprehension of language, enabling them to follow instructions and routines effectively.
They are guided to express their opinions and preferences appropriately, with confidence and respect for others.
At Stower Vale Preschool, communication and language development is embedded throughout the day, with every child’s opinions, views, and feelings valued.
Children are supported to express their interests, with staff tailoring learning and development next steps to reflect these.
A language-rich environment is provided through daily conversations, open-ended questions, story sharing, songs, rhymes, and imaginative play.
Staff model exemplary language, encouraging children to extend their vocabulary and develop higher-order thinking skills.
Children are encouraged to articulate their thoughts and feelings, ask questions, and share suggestions, fostering confident and effective communication.
Daily story, rhyme, and song activities further support the development of language and communication skills.
Children with English as an additional language are supported through strong partnerships with parents, culturally appropriate resources, and multilingual learning opportunities as needed.
All children are assessed using the WellComm toolkit, which identifies those who may require additional speech and language support and provides targeted activities to promote communication development.
Physical Development
At Stower Vale Preschool, children are supported to move their bodies freely, confidently, and independently.
They develop strong gross motor skills, including core strength, coordination, and agility.
Children are guided to strengthen fine motor skills and use a range of tools effectively, promoting precise hand-eye coordination.
They begin to use a pincer grip when engaging in mark-making activities, such as drawing and writing.
Independence in physical routines, such as dressing and putting on shoes, is encouraged and supported.
Children are guided to lead a healthy lifestyle and develop an understanding of the importance of regular physical activity and healthy routines.
At Stower Vale Preschool, children are encouraged to be healthy and active through frequent access to our outdoor areas throughout the day.
The outdoor environment allows children to run, climb, crawl, and jump, with popular features such as our climbing frame promoting physical exploration and confidence.
Children participate in yoga, dance, and obstacle course activities to develop core strength, agility, coordination, and overall fitness.
Healthy lifestyles are promoted through discussions about nutritious foods, encouraging parents to provide balanced lunches, and emphasizing the importance of regular exercise and movement.
Children are taught about oral health and the importance of maintaining good dental hygiene as part of their overall wellbeing.
Expressive Art and Design
At Stower Vale Preschool, children are encouraged to engage with song and dance, exploring a variety of musical styles and expressing their feelings through their voice and percussion instruments.
Children use their imaginations in small-world play and role-play scenarios, creating stories and extending their learning through creative exploration.
They develop creativity and problem-solving skills through construction and hands-on activities using a wide range of resources.
Children are supported to express themselves through art, experimenting with a variety of colours, textures, and materials to explore their ideas and creativity.
Children can access resources which encourage open-ended art and design independently.
We encourage children to express themselves through a range of art and design such as creative artwork, movement to music, and imaginative play through role play.
Children mix colours, have access to various textiles and open-ended creation.
Mark making and malleable resources are always accessible.
Understanding the World
At Stower Vale Preschool, children are encouraged to appreciate and respect all living things.
They explore the natural world with curiosity and wonder, fostering a love for the outdoors.
Children develop positive attitudes towards differences among people, including race, religion, and disability.
They learn about wildlife, lifecycles, and the changing seasons, deepening their understanding of the natural environment.
Children are supported to care for plants and understand what they need to grow and thrive.
They begin to develop an understanding of themselves, their own life story, and their family.
Children are introduced to different occupations and the wider world, helping them to understand the community and society around them.
At Stower Vale Preschool, children are encouraged to explore and engage with the world around them, fostering curiosity and a love of learning.
Children investigate the garden, observing bugs and other small creatures, with literacy activities linked to these discoveries.
Visits from friendly animals, such as chickens and tortoises, provide opportunities for children to learn how to care for living creatures and understand lifecycles, including chickens and butterflies.
Gardening activities, including participation in the local primary school’s Eco Club, enable children to plant, nurture, and care for plants, developing responsibility and a connection with nature.
Children explore seasonal changes through regular walks and observations of their environment.
Cultural capital is promoted through strong partnerships with parents, show-and-tell activities, and the sharing of children’s experiences and knowledge.
Visits from members of the local community, including the police, road safety teams, and vets, help children understand different roles and responsibilities in society.
Festivals from diverse cultures are celebrated, supporting children to recognise similarities and differences and learn about the wider world.
Role-play activities allow children to explore different lifestyles and occupations, broadening their understanding of society and community.
Mathematics
At Stower Vale Preschool, children are encouraged to actively participate in counting songs, rhymes, and number-based activities.
Children develop confidence in counting to ten and beyond, fostering early numeracy skills.
Problem-solving and logical thinking are promoted through hands-on learning experiences.
Children are supported to make comparisons between objects, exploring concepts of size, length, and weight.
They develop fine motor and spatial skills through jigsaws, puzzles, and construction activities using a variety of materials and resources.
Children learn to recognise numerals and understand the link between numerals and quantities.
Awareness of shapes and patterns is fostered through play and observation of the surrounding environment.
Children develop an understanding and use of positional language, supporting spatial awareness and mathematical reasoning.
At Stower Vale Preschool, children have access to a wide range of mathematics resources throughout the setting to support hands-on learning.
Mathematical language, including shape, size, and numeral vocabulary, is used daily, and children are encouraged to incorporate it into their play.
Children are supported to recognise numerals and link them to quantities through a variety of counting activities and resources.
Shape and spatial awareness is developed through building and construction activities using materials such as large bricks, pipes, Lego, stickle bricks, and loose parts.
Counting songs and rhymes are used daily to reinforce mathematical concepts, sequencing, and number recognition in an engaging and playful way.
Literacy
At Stower Vale Preschool, children are encouraged to develop a love of stories and books, and to retell stories with confidence and understanding.
A wide repertoire of songs and rhymes is provided to support language development and early literacy skills.
Children are supported to understand that print carries meaning and that English print is read from left to right and top to bottom.
Phonological awareness is fostered through activities such as identifying rhyming words and counting or clapping syllables in words.
Children are guided to form recognisable letters correctly and begin to blend sounds to write simple words, including their own names.
Early reading skills are developed through systematic introduction to the phonic sounds of letters, promoting confidence in reading and writing which will help children as they journey into Primary School.
At Stower Vale Preschool, children have daily access to a wide selection of literacy resources, enabling them to engage with stories independently.
Songs and rhymes are incorporated throughout the day, with children encouraged to choose their preferred songs during group times.
Books are accessible both indoors and outdoors, and quieter periods are provided for children to listen to stories, alongside structured group story times at the end of the day.
Repetition in selected stories is encouraged to help children become familiar with storylines, characters, and narrative structure.
The Read, Write Inc. programme is used to teach mnemonics, letter recognition, and correct letter formation when children are ready.
Small group activities for older children focus on developing fine motor skills and mark-making abilities at various scales.
Phonological awareness, including alliteration, rhyming, and syllable activities, is embedded within both group sessions and everyday practice to support speech, language, and literacy development.