our curriculum

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets out the learning and development requirements that all providers must meet, ensuring every child in their care has the opportunity to grow and develop as an individual. It also includes statutory requirements, making sure children are cared for in a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment.

Each setting has the flexibility to put its own unique twist on how these requirements are delivered, including different approaches, learning environments, and activities.

At Potterspury Preschool, we are a child-led setting, following each child’s interests and adopting the Curiosity Approach. Our environment and activities are carefully designed to be inclusive, allowing every child to explore, investigate, and develop at their own pace.

By nurturing a childs natural curiosity and encouraging children to follow their own interests, we help them build confidence, develop independence, and enjoy a rich and meaningful learning experience across all areas of the EYFS.

Learn more about EYFS

what does the EYFS look like in our setting?

Our unique approach...

Our unique approach means your child is encouraged to explore, investigate, and follow their own curiosity, while our highly skilled staff observe and plan learning opportunities that support their personal development.

By carefully linking a child’s play and interests to the EYFS framework, we set individual targets and provide timely interventions that help each child progress at their own pace and we record this along the way with regular feedback to parents too.

This ensures that every child receives the support they need to grow, develop new skills, and achieve their personal milestones, all within an enabling environment.

Hands-On Cooking...

At Potterspury Preschool, children take part in cooking sessions several times a week with an expert, retired secondary school cooking teacher. These fun, hands-on lessons give children the chance to explore new foods, textures, and healthy eating, while developing practical skills such as chopping, slicing, grating, spreading, mixing, sieving, and kneading.

Cooking and food preparation helps to strengthen fine motor skills, preparing children for early writing as they transition to primary school. It also encourages independence, self-awareness, and understanding of food hygiene and safety when using kitchen tools and equipment.

Best of all, children get to enjoy the delicious dishes they’ve prepared as part of snack time, making the experience rewarding, engaging, and full of learning.

Learning Through Adventure...

Visits to the conservation area give children the chance to learn through play, curiosity, and hands-on discovery. Climbing, digging, pond dipping, and exploring their surroundings helps to develop confidence, problem-solving skills, and independence.

Forest School offers a wide range of benefits for young children, including:

Confidence and self-esteem – children build a strong sense of self through exploration and achievement
Physical development and health – active outdoor play supports strength, coordination, and overall wellbeing
Improved mental health and concentration – time in nature helps children feel calm, focused, and engaged
Social and communication skills – children learn to work together, share ideas, and express themselves
Resilience and risk management – opportunities to take safe risks help children become more independent and adaptable
Motivation and curiosity – outdoor learning encourages a natural desire to explore and discover
Respect for the environment – children develop an understanding and appreciation of the natural world

Outdoor adventure also supports all areas of learning—from developing language and social skills as children talk about what they see, to building physical abilities through climbing, balancing, and using natural materials. It helps children grow into confident, capable learners with a lasting connection to nature.

DEVELOPMENT checks

Partnering with Parents to Support Learning...

At Potterspury Preschool, we work closely with parents and carers to monitor your child’s progress through the Two- and Three-Year Checks, helping us identify any concerns and plan how best to support their development.

We also track key early skills, including whether children can recognise numbers, colours, and count, as well as begin pre-learning for school preparation. This includes introducing the first six phonics sounds (s, a, t, p, i, n) for the Foundation Stage and supporting children to find their own name and recognise their belongings independently.

With your consent-or if we have any concerns-we can also assess children’s speech and language using specially formulated checks. These help ensure that beginning sounds, end sounds, and pronunciation are being formed correctly, giving early support where needed.

As children prepare to move on to school, we create transition documents to share with your chosen school, ensuring teachers have a full picture of your child’s learning and development.

We use Tapestry, our online learning journal, so you can see daily experiences, achievements, and progress, and even add your own contributions-creating a true partnership in your child’s learning journey.

activity setup with book, plush toy and hand puppet

Transition Documents

Transition documents are created to share important information about your child with their receiving school.

These include details about your child’s development, interests, likes and dislikes, as well as any worries or concerns they may have about the upcoming transition.

We understand that managing big emotions can sometimes be tricky, and sharing this information helps schools provide the right support to make the move smoother for your child.

We also welcome teachers from the schools your child will be transitioning to, allowing them to visit our preschool and spend time with the child in a familiar environment.

This gives the teachers the opportunity to get to know each child personally, observe them interacting with their friends, and ask any questions.

These visits help foster positive relationships and make the move to ‘big school’ smoother and more comfortable for your child.

We are here to support families in choosing the right school for their child. We can share our observations and feedback on your child’s development, help you understand their strengths and needs, and guide you in researching special educational settings for children with additional needs.

Our goal is to ensure you feel informed and confident in making the best choices for your child’s next steps in learning