What is our vision for the Early Years? 

At The Growth Learning Collective, we believe that the Early Years are the crucial building blocks for a child's future success. Our vision is to provide every child with a rich, stimulating, and supportive learning environment where they feel valued, confident, and excited about learning. We understand that these formative years are pivotal in shaping a child's intellectual, social, and emotional development, and we are committed to laying the foundations for a lifelong love of learning.  

We offer a broad and balanced curriculum, one that is both creative and challenging, ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a wealth of learning opportunities. This curriculum is not just focused on academic achievement but also nurtures the whole child—encouraging curiosity, resilience, and a sense of belonging. By providing a variety of enriching activities, both inside and outside the classroom, we aim to foster a love of exploration, build confidence in new skills, and develop children’s critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.  

Recognising that many of our children come from diverse backgrounds and face challenges in their daily lives, we work to remove barriers to learning and ensure that every child has the support and encouragement they need to thrive. Through high-quality teaching, collaborative partnerships with parents, and a nurturing approach, we aim to empower all our children to reach their full potential, both now and in the future.  

By laying a strong foundation in these early years, we are helping to shape confident, compassionate, and capable individuals who will grow to be lifelong learners and active, engaged citizens in an ever-changing world.  

 

What does Early Years look like in our school and how do we plan lessons?  

At The Growth Learning Collective, our Early Years provision is designed to give children the very best start to their education. We create a rich, stimulating environment where children feel safe, valued, and excited to learn. 

• Play and exploration are at the heart of our approach. Children learn through carefully planned continuous provision (resources and spaces always available for independent play) and enhanced provision (special additions linked to themes or children’s interests). 
• Our curriculum is broad and balanced, covering the seven areas of learning in the EYFS: communication and language, personal/social/emotional development, physical development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design. 
• Each half term is built around engaging themes such as Space, Traditional Tales, Minibeasts, or Pirates. These themes are introduced through storybooks and non‑fiction texts, helping children see reading as central to learning. 
• Teachers plan lessons by combining teacher‑led sessions (phonics, maths, literacy, story time) with plenty of opportunities for child‑initiated play. This balance ensures children develop key skills while also building curiosity, resilience, and independence. 
• High‑quality adult interactions are central: staff listen carefully, ask open‑ended questions, and model positive behaviour to extend children’s thinking and language. 

 

How can you help your child at home? 

Parents and carers are a child’s first educators, and we value working in partnership with you. Here are some simple ways you can support your child’s learning at home: 

• Read together every day – share storybooks, talk about the pictures, and encourage your child to retell parts of the story. 
• Talk and listen – have conversations about everyday experiences, ask questions, and introduce new vocabulary. 
• Play together – build with blocks, role‑play, cook, or explore outdoors. Play develops imagination, problem‑solving, and social skills. 
• Encourage independence – let your child try dressing themselves, tidying up, or helping with small household tasks. 
• Support early maths – count objects, notice shapes, compare sizes, and play simple number games. 
• Stay connected with school – use our Evidence Me platform to view and share observations, attend workshops, and join in special events.