Early Years at Carr Hill

A happy beginning. A world of discovery.

Welcome to Early Years at Carr Hill Primary & Nursery School. Our Nursery and Reception provision welcomes children aged three and above. Guided by our values, Aspire – Enjoy – Flourish, we help children feel safe, valued and excited to learn as they make friends, explore new ideas and grow in confidence.

Feeling settled and supported

Every child is unique. We build on their interests, experiences and strengths, adapting teaching and support to help everyone take part and thrive. Warm relationships, familiar routines and encouragement help children communicate, manage feelings and become increasingly independent. Your child’s key person works with you to understand their learning and care needs, including the languages they use at home.

Learning through play and discovery

Children learn through purposeful play, practical experiences and carefully planned teaching, indoors and outdoors. Themes and high-quality stories spark curiosity, introduce vocabulary and inspire imaginative play. Adults guide learning and use observations to plan support and challenge. We encourage children to explore, have a go, keep trying and think for themselves.

Our Early Years curriculum

We follow the United Learning curriculum for most aspects of Early Years, with Mastering Number for mathematics and Little Wandle for phonics. Learning builds step by step, with time to revisit and practise skills. Our curriculum reflects our community, introduces wider experiences and nurtures both knowledge and personal development.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together seven connected areas of learning. Communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, and physical development are the three prime areas, providing foundations for the four specific areas: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.

• Communication and language: listening, understanding, enjoying conversations and sharing ideas.
• Personal, social and emotional development: building relationships, understanding feelings and becoming more independent.
• Physical development: developing movement, balance, coordination and the small hand movements needed for everyday tasks and writing.
• Literacy: enjoying books, understanding stories and developing early reading and writing.
• Mathematics: exploring numbers, quantities, patterns, shapes and measures.
• Understanding the world: discovering more about people, places, nature and change.
• Expressive arts and design: exploring materials, music, movement, imagination and creative expression.

Talk, stories and early reading

Stories, songs, rhymes and conversations help children listen, develop vocabulary and share ideas. Nursery experiences lay the foundations for reading and Little Wandle phonics teaches children to connect letters with sounds and blend sounds to read words. Drawing, mark-making and writing help children express their own ideas.

Making sense of maths

Through Mastering Number and practical activities, children develop a secure understanding of numbers and quantities. Counting, comparing, sorting and sharing help bring maths to life. Children also explore patterns, shapes and measures through building, games and everyday experiences.

Working together with families

You know your child best. Sharing interests, achievements, home languages and any concerns helps us support them together. We welcome questions and keep communication open. At home, small, enjoyable moments make a difference:

• Share a story and talk about the pictures and characters.
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes together.
• Count, sort and compare objects during everyday routines.
• Make time to talk, listen and explore your child’s questions.
• Encourage manageable steps towards independence and celebrate their efforts.

Understanding your child’s progress

Staff get to know children through everyday play, conversations and activities, using what they notice to plan next steps. In Reception, children complete a short Reception Baseline Assessment within their first six weeks. At the end of Reception, teachers assess development against the Early Learning Goals and share outcomes with families. These goals are an assessment reference point, not the limits of our curriculum.

Ready for the next step

We help children prepare for Year 1 gradually, becoming familiar with new adults, spaces and routines. Our aim is for every child to move on with growing confidence, independence and resilience, alongside strong foundations for future learning.

Come and meet us

If you are considering Nursery or Reception at Carr Hill, please contact the school office to find out more about our provision, visiting the school and how to apply. We would be pleased to answer your questions and help you get to know our school.