Learning & Keyworkers
Learning
In September 2008, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was introduced for all children from birth to five years of age. The framework has been regularly reviewed and updated, most recently in September 2025. We ensure our practice reflects the current statutory guidance at all times.
Themes and Principles
The EYFS is built around four key themes, which underpin everything we do. These guide our daily practice through our policies, procedures, routines and interactions:
- A Unique Child
- Positive Relationships
- Enabling Environments
- Learning and Development
These principles shape the high-quality care and education we provide every day.
We also place strong emphasis on:
- Promoting equality of opportunity and inclusive practice
- Working in partnership with parents, carers, professionals and other providers
- Maintaining high standards of quality and consistency
- Supporting children to build secure foundations for future learning, including their transition to school
- Safeguarding and Welfare
Safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare is at the heart of everything we do. We follow the EYFS safeguarding and welfare requirements to ensure all children are kept safe and supported.
This includes:
- Robust safer recruitment procedures
- Ongoing staff training and supervision
- Clear safeguarding and whistleblowing policies
- Close monitoring of children’s attendance and wellbeing
- Maintaining a safe, secure and nurturing environment at all times
The EYFS sets out seven areas of learning and development:
Prime Areas:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
- Communication and Language
Specific Areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Children also develop through three key characteristics of effective learning:
- Playing and Exploring
- Active Learning
- Creating and Thinking Critically
We recognise that every child is unique and develops at their own pace. Observations and assessments are carried out regularly through everyday activities to understand and support each child’s individual learning journey.
A statutory progress check is completed between the ages of two and three years, carried out by your child’s key person, with your involvement. A final assessment takes place at the end of the EYFS, at the end of the Reception year.
The EYFS informs all of our planning and practice across the nursery.
Our Approach
The EYFS is underpinned by important principles that guide how children learn and develop:
- Positive relationships with adults and other children are essential
- A secure bond with a key person supports emotional wellbeing
- Children are capable, competent learners from birth
- Caring, responsive adults are more important than resources
- Routines should be flexible and led by children’s needs
- Children learn best when they are given opportunities to make choices, take risks and learn from experience
We look forward to working in partnership with you and sharing your child’s learning journey. If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Electronic Learning Journey
We use an online learning journal within our 'Famly' nursery software, which makes it quicker for our team to identify where each child is in their own development pathway, by linking their observations directly to an online version of the EYFS curriculum. Parents will be able to keep updated on their child's learning journal using the 'Famly' app.
Keyworkers
Your Child’s Key Person
When your child joins Little Lane Nursery, they will be assigned a Key Person who will support them throughout their time with us.
Your child’s Key Person plays an important role in helping them feel safe, settled and valued. They take time to get to know your child’s individual needs, routines, interests and personality, and support their learning and development every step of the way.
We carefully match Key People based on your child’s sessions, staff working patterns and, most importantly, building positive relationships with both children and families. As children grow and move rooms, their Key Person may change, but this will always be managed sensitively, with familiar staff supporting a smooth transition.
While your child has a dedicated Key Person, all of our team work closely together to ensure every child feels cared for and supported at all times.
Strong, secure attachments are at the heart of a child’s wellbeing. By building trusting relationships, we create a safe and nurturing environment where children feel confident to explore, learn and thrive.
Have you Made an Observation?
Your child’s Key Person will always be interested in what they have been doing outside of nursery.
You can share your own observations, updates to routines or new interests through the Famly app.
This helps us to support your child more effectively at nursery and plan activities that reflect their individual interests and development.
