Curriculum, Learning and the Early Years Foundation Stage
Our Curriculum
Achieve. Belong. Thrive
At Little Monkeys, our curriculum is everything we want children to experience, learn, practise and become during their time with us.
It is not simply a list of activities or topics. Our curriculum starts with each individual child — what they already know and can do, their interests, experiences and developmental needs — and builds from there.
Through warm relationships, high-quality interactions, purposeful play, carefully planned experiences and plenty of opportunities to explore, we help children build the knowledge, skills, confidence and attitudes they need for their next stage of learning and for life.
Most importantly, our curriculum grows with our children. Each stage builds upon the foundations developed before it, while recognising that every child's journey is individual.
Our Curriculum Journey
Baby Room – Birth to 2 Years
Building strong foundations
Our youngest children begin by developing the foundations on which all future learning depends.
Through secure relationships, responsive interactions, sensory exploration, movement, songs, stories and play, babies develop communication, curiosity, physical skills and an understanding that they are safe, valued and belong.
↓
Little People – Rising 2s to 3s
Growing confidence and Independence
As children grow, we build on these foundations.
Children are supported to communicate more confidently, develop friendships, become increasingly independent, explore and investigate, solve simple problems and begin to make sense of the world around them.
↓
Preschool – Rising 3s to School
Ready for school, Ready for life
In Preschool, children's learning is extended and deepened.
We provide increasingly rich experiences that develop children's language, thinking, independence, resilience, creativity, physical skills and early literacy and mathematical understanding.
School readiness at Little Monkeys is about much more than knowing letters and numbers. We want children to leave us confident, curious, emotionally secure, independent and excited to learn.
How building builds momentum
We believe that small steps today create big futures.
Learning does not begin again when a child moves rooms. Practitioners build on what children already know, understand and can do.
A baby communicating through gestures becomes a toddler using words to share their needs and ideas. Those early conversations develop into the increasingly confident communication we encourage in Preschool.
A baby filling and emptying containers begins to understand quantity and space. A toddler starts noticing amounts, shapes and patterns. Later, a preschool child begins counting reliably, linking numerals and amounts and solving simple mathematical problems through play.
This progression happens across our whole curriculum. Each experience provides another building block for what comes next.
The seven areas of learning
Our curriculum is rooted in the EYFS and supports children's development across all seven areas:
Prime Areas: Communication & Language • Personal, Social & Emotional Development • Physical Development
Specific Areas: Literacy • Mathematics • Understanding the World • Expressive Arts & Design
The areas are interconnected. A child making mud pies might be developing physical skills, using mathematical language, investigating materials, negotiating with friends and developing new vocabulary — all through one meaningful experience.
Our Commitment
At our nursery, every decision is guided by our core values:
Achieve • Belong • Thrive
We are dedicated to providing a nurturing environment where children feel confident, supported, and inspired—ready to take their next steps in learning and life.