Welcome to Early Years

Our Strategic Values

Challenge

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We inspire curiosity and a love of learning through hands-on exploration and problem-solving. These experiences build resilience, creativity, and the confidence to face challenges with a growth mindset. We celebrate each child's achievements, fostering a strong sense of belonging. Through collaboration and respect, we help children thrive—academically, socially, and emotionally—preparing them for future success.

Community

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We foster belonging by exploring our local area and celebrating the diverse backgrounds of our children, including Czech culture. Through collaboration with parents and shared experiences, we embrace cultural differences, promoting inclusivity and understanding. Together, we build meaningful connections that enrich perspectives and deepen our sense of community.

Care

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We nurture care and kindness by working closely with parents to create a supportive environment. Through daily interactions, we foster compassion, respect, and cooperation, building a safe and inclusive space where friendships grow and differences are celebrated. Together, we cultivate empathy and generosity that last a lifetime.

Let’s explore our Early Years School!

A Word from the Head of Early Years

My name is Hannah Gaffney and I would like to welcome you to Early Years. Our Early Years community is built on strong relationships, a nurturing environment, and a belief in every child’s potential. By encouraging curiosity, creativity, and exploration, we inspire our youngest learners to develop a lifelong love of learning and the confidence to embrace the world around them.

Mission and Values

At Riverside Early Years, we follow the Statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework as set out by the Department for Education for England.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework:

Sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well.
Ensures children are kept healthy and safe.
Ensures children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school.

Curriculum and Learning

At Riverside, we understand that every child is unique and develops at their own pace. Our educators carefully plan and guide learning experiences to meet the individual needs of each student, recognizing the value and benefits of children learning through play. By embracing different learning styles and incorporating play-based activities, we create an environment where every child can thrive.

Children explore their world through their senses, showing curiosity about objects, events, and people. Open-ended activities encourage them to think creatively and discover new possibilities.

Enjoyment in acting out own experiences with others during play fosters creativity and social skills. This collaborative interaction allows them to engage in imaginative scenarios together.

Knowledge is demonstrated in play as children initiate activities that reflect their interests. They showcase a “can do” attitude, actively seek out challenges, and embrace risks by trying new things. This approach promotes learning through trial and error, helping to foster resilience and confidence.

Involvement and concentration are evident as children exhibit high levels of energy and fascination in their activities. They remain focused, not easily distracted, and pay close attention to details. This ability allows them to engage with tasks for extended periods, deepening their learning experience.

Children demonstrate the ability to keep trying by bouncing back after facing difficulties. They persist with activities even when challenges arise, believing that their persistence and adaptability will lead to success.

Children take pleasure in achieving their goals by embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than just seeking praise. They feel a sense of pride not only in reaching their objectives but also in the effort and process that lead to those achievements.

Children show the ability to choose effective ways to do things by regularly checking how well an activity is going. They adapt by changing their approach or strategy when needed and are able to review how successful their method was in achieving the desired outcome.

Creativity is evident when new ways to do things are discovered, as well as when independent ideas are formed. This inventive approach helps in solving problems and encourages innovative thinking.

Making connections involves developing ideas about grouping, sequencing, and understanding cause and effect. It also includes making predictions, testing new ideas, and noticing patterns in experiences, allowing concepts to be linked in meaningful ways.

Skills for Life

At Riverside, we believe in nurturing the whole child by developing not just academic foundations, but also real-world skills and passions. Our Skills for Life Clubs offer a wide range of enriching activities that inspire curiosity, confidence, and creativity from an early age.

These clubs provide children with opportunities to explore new interests, build physical and social skills, and gain hands-on experiences that support their personal growth.

School Day

During the school day, the children will participate in a variety of timetabled activities to guide their learning, making use of our well resourced and carefully planned learning environments, both inside and outside.

Alongside teacher-led activities, we use ‘Continuous Provision’ with indoor and outdoor resources to promote skill-building, exploration, and vocabulary growth through enriched learning areas and meaningful conversations. More information about the CP model can be found in our Early Years Curriculum Guide.

8am – 9am	Soft Start / Continuous Provision
9am	Morning Circle Time/Phonics Session
9.30am	Morning Snack Time
10am	Outdoor Playtime
10.30am	Maths/Literacy Focus Session & Continuous Provision
12.00pm	Lunchtime
12.30pm	Outdoor Playtime
1.10pm	Quiet Reading/Puzzles/Yoga time *Nursery Children can nap
1.30pm	Afternoon Focus Session
2.30pm	Afternoon Snack and Story Time
3.00pm	Home Time
3.00 – 3.45pm	Skills For Life Clubs
3.00 – 4.45pm	Extended Day Program (additional fees apply)

Sustainability at Riverside

At Riverside, we are committed to nurturing a love for the environment from an early age. Each year, our Early Years children take part in the Eco-Schools (Ekoskola) programme, working towards maintaining the internationally recognised Green Flag Award – a symbol of excellence in environmental education.

Through hands-on projects and everyday eco-friendly practices, our youngest learners develop a strong sense of responsibility for the planet, helping to shape a greener future for all.