Early Years Foundation Stage

As a Nurturing School with OPaL Platinum status, our Early Years provides the perfect start to your child’s learning journey. Through rich experiences in our inspiring indoor and outdoor environments, every child develops confidence, independence and a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

Early Years at Morningside

Where Every Child’s Journey Begins

At Morningside, we believe the early years are the most important years. This is where children discover their love of learning, build confidence, and develop the skills they need to thrive. Our Early Years provision is warm, nurturing and exciting – a place where every child feels valued, supported and inspired.

We offer three settings:

Rainbow Nursery – for 2 year olds
School Nursery – for 3 year olds
Reception – for 4-5 year olds

A Place Where Children Love to Learn

Every day in our Early Years is filled with wonder, discovery and joy. Children learn through purposeful play and exploratory activities – getting messy, asking questions, solving problems and making sense of the world around them.

Our carefully planned environment encourages children to:

Choose and explore – following their interests and developing independence
Communicate and collaborate – building friendships and social skills
Think creatively – imagining, investigating and creating
Take risks – trying new things in a safe, supportive space

As a Nurturing School and OPaL Platinum school, we understand that play is essential for children’s development, wellbeing and learning. Our outdoor spaces are an extension of the classroom, offering rich experiences that support learning in all areas.

Our Curriculum

Our Early Years curriculum is built around seven areas of learning:

The Prime Areas (fundamental skills that underpin everything)

Personal, Social and Emotional Development – building confidence, resilience and positive relationships
Communication and Language – developing vocabulary, listening skills and the ability to express ideas
Physical Development – developing movement, coordination and healthy habits

The Specific Areas (essential knowledge and skills)

Literacy – developing a love of stories, books and early reading and writing
Mathematics – exploring numbers, patterns, shapes and mathematical concepts through Mastering Number
Understanding the World – discovering people, places, cultures and the natural world
Expressive Arts and Design – creating, imagining and expressing ideas through art, music, dance and role-play

What Makes Our Early Years Special?

Rich, Engaging Experiences

Throughout the year, children explore exciting themes and high-quality books that capture their imagination. From exploring autumn with The Leaf Man, to discovering animals through What the Ladybird Heard, to celebrating diversity with Handa’s Surprise and Elmer, every theme is carefully planned to spark curiosity and build knowledge.

Mastering Number in Mathematics

We use the Mastering Number approach to ensure children develop deep understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts. Through hands-on activities, games and exploration, children build strong foundations in maths that will support them throughout their school journey.

A Love of Reading

Stories are at the heart of our Early Years. Every theme is built around carefully chosen books that inspire, challenge and delight. Children develop a love of reading through daily story times, role-play, retelling stories and exploring books independently.

Celebrating Diversity

Our curriculum celebrates the rich diversity of our community and the wider world. Children learn about different cultures, festivals and traditions including Black History, Diwali, Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, Holi, Eid and Easter. Every child sees themselves reflected in our curriculum and learns to value and respect others.

Outdoor Learning

As an OPaL Platinum school, our outdoor spaces are vibrant learning environments. Children have access to their own playgrounds and the infant playground, where they can climb, build, explore nature, be creative and develop physical skills. We use our outdoor areas every day, in all weathers, because we know how important outdoor play is for children’s development.

Skilled, Nurturing Staff

Our Early Years team are passionate, highly trained and committed to ensuring every child thrives. They know each child as an individual, understand their needs, and provide the support and challenge each child needs to make excellent progress.

What Will My Child Learn?

In our Early Years, children will:

Develop confidence, independence and resilience
Build strong friendships and learn to work with others
Develop communication skills and a rich vocabulary
Learn to read and write
Explore numbers, shapes, patterns and mathematical concepts
Discover the world around them through science, geography and history
Create, imagine and express themselves through art, music, dance and role-play
Develop physical skills through active play and movement
Learn about different cultures, festivals and ways of life
Most importantly – develop a love of learning that will stay with them forever

See Our Early Years in Action

Have a look at our EYFS Theme Maps to see what themes and books we cover throughout the year in Rainbow Nursery, School Nursery and Reception.

Rainbow Nursery (2 year old provision)

School Nursery (3 year old provision)

Reception classes

Join Our Early Years Community

We would love to welcome you and your child to Morningside. Come and see our Early Years in action – book a tour, meet our team, and discover why parents choose Morningside for their child’s early years.

Watch our videos to see our children learning and playing in our Reception and Nursery and Rainbow nursery classes.

Reception

Nursery

Useful Links

Information about Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk

Links to videos related to the 7 learning areas and programmes for 0 to 5 year olds:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/eyfs

There are also many useful websites for early years children:

The following apps are recommended for young children:

Bugs and Buttons
Bugs and Numbers
The Singing Alphabet
Go Count!
The Land of Me –Making Things
The Land of Me –Shape, Size and Colour
The Land of Me –Songs and Rhymes
The Land of Me –Story Time
Me Books
iTrace