“The first five years have so much to do with how the next 80 turn out.” — Bill Gates

At Brougham Street Nursery School, we believe that every child deserves the very best start in life. Our curriculum is built on the firm foundations of positive relationships, secure attachments and a strong partnership between home and nursery. We know that children learn and thrive when they feel safe, loved, valued and understood. By working hand in hand with families, we create a nurturing, stimulating environment where every child can develop confidence, curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. Through meaningful experiences, play and exploration, we support every child to flourish at their own pace, building the skills, knowledge and independence they need for the next steps in their learning journey and beyond.

Our Baby Room Curriculum

At Brougham Street, our Baby Room provides a warm, nurturing and responsive environment for babies aged from 12 weeks to 24 months. We recognise that every baby is unique, and our curriculum is built around developing strong, trusting relationships between our Early Years Educators, Practitioners, babies and their families.

Relationships at the Heart of Our Curriculum

We believe that strong relationships are the foundation for learning and development. By taking the time to get to know each baby as an individual, we learn about their interests, preferences, routines and ways of communicating. These secure relationships help babies to feel safe, valued and happy, giving them the confidence to explore their environment and develop at their own pace.

Our Baby Room is calm, organised and thoughtfully arranged, with clear and consistent routines that provide babies with a sense of security and predictability. We work closely with families to ensure that each baby's individual needs, routines and experiences are understood and supported.

Supporting the Prime Areas

Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on the three Prime Areas of the EYFS:

• Communication and Language – developing babies' listening, attention, understanding and early communication through warm interactions, singing, rhymes, conversations and sharing stories.

• Physical Development – supporting babies as they develop control and coordination, from tummy time and reaching through to crawling, walking and developing independence.

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development – building secure relationships, supporting emotional wellbeing, developing confidence and helping babies to begin to understand themselves and the world around them.

Supporting Early Communication

Communication is at the heart of everything we do. All members of staff at Brougham Street are confident in using Makaton, and we incorporate signs alongside spoken language throughout our daily routines and interactions. This gives our babies additional ways to express their needs, interests, feelings and choices before they are able to communicate verbally.

We also use Widgit symbols throughout the Baby Room to support babies' understanding and communication. By combining spoken language, Makaton, visual symbols, gestures and facial expressions, we create a rich and inclusive communication environment where every baby is supported to find their own voice.

Learning Through Stories

Books and stories are an important part of our Baby Room curriculum. We carefully select key texts that are appropriate and accessible for our youngest children. These texts provide a familiar thread throughout our learning and create opportunities for babies to develop their communication, understanding and enjoyment of books.

Our planning is inspired by these key texts but remains flexible and responsive. We recognise that some of the most valuable learning happens in the moment. Our Early Years Educators and Practitioners observe children's interests, responses and emerging needs and use this knowledge to extend learning through child-led experiences and in-the-moment planning.

Learning Beyond the Nursery

We believe that our babies benefit enormously from experiences beyond the nursery environment. Each week, we plan opportunities for our babies to explore and become familiar with their local community and wider world.

Our community experiences may include visits to Skipton, local supermarkets, the park, The Wilderness Forest School and The Mill House Residential Home, as well as occasional trips further afield.

These experiences provide meaningful opportunities for babies to develop across the Prime Areas of the EYFS. Whether they are listening to new sounds, watching the world around them, experiencing different environments, developing their physical skills or building relationships with familiar members of the community, these everyday adventures enrich our curriculum and broaden babies' experiences.

Observing, Planning and Celebrating Learning

We use Birth to 5 Matters as a valuable framework to support our assessment and curriculum planning. We carefully observe each baby and use our knowledge of their development to provide experiences that reflect their individual needs, interests and next steps.

Every baby has their own personalised Learning Story, which captures their experiences, achievements, interests and developing skills. This helps us to build a meaningful picture of each child's unique learning journey.

Working in Partnership with Families

We believe that families are an essential part of a baby's learning journey. Tapestry is our online platform, which we use to share daily learning opportunities and experiences with parents and carers. It also provides an important channel for home–nursery communication, enabling families to share their baby's experiences, interests and achievements from home.

By working together with families, we can build a consistent and supportive approach that helps every baby to feel secure, understood and ready to learn.

Our Baby Room curriculum is centred around relationships, responsive care, communication, exploration and discovery. We want every baby to feel safe, loved and valued, while providing them with the experiences and opportunities they need to grow, develop and flourish.

Our Toddler Room Curriculum

Our Toddler Room curriculum has been carefully designed to build on each child's individual development, experiences and interests from their time in the 0–2 provision. We recognise that every child arrives with their own unique experiences, personality, interests and developing skills, and we use this knowledge as the starting point for their continued learning journey.

Relationships at the Heart of Our Curriculum

Relationships are the key to success in our Toddler Room. Our highly skilled and nurturing team take the time to develop strong, trusting relationships with every child and family. These secure relationships give children the confidence to explore, take risks, develop independence and become enthusiastic learners.

Our partnership with parents and carers begins before their child joins us. Home visits and parent joining-in sessions provide valuable opportunities for us to get to know each child and their family, understand their experiences and interests, and build relationships from the very beginning.

We place great value on the voice of our families. Parent feedback consistently reflects the strength of relationships within our Toddler Room, and we use this feedback to continually reflect on and develop our practice.

A Curriculum Built Around Children

Our curriculum is carefully planned around handpicked key texts, which provide a rich and familiar foundation for learning. These texts are thoughtfully linked to the three Prime Areas and the Four Specific Areas of the EYFS curriculum:

• Communication and Language – developing listening, attention, understanding and expressive language through conversations, stories, songs, rhymes and meaningful interactions.
• Physical Development – developing coordination, movement, balance and physical confidence, while encouraging children to become increasingly independent in managing their own physical needs.
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development – nurturing secure relationships, confidence, emotional wellbeing, independence and children's ability to build positive relationships with others.

The Four Specific Areas

• Literacy – fostering a love of books, stories and rhymes, while developing early reading and writing skills. Through our carefully chosen texts, children explore language, develop an understanding of stories and begin to make meaningful connections between spoken and written words.
• Mathematics – building early mathematical understanding through playful exploration, practical experiences and everyday routines. Children develop confidence with numbers, counting, patterns, shapes, space and measure, making connections that lay the foundations for future mathematical learning.
• Understanding the World – encouraging children to explore, question and make sense of the world around them. Through stories, investigations, celebrations, nature and meaningful experiences, children develop an awareness of people, communities, the natural world and how things change over time.
• Expressive Arts and Design – nurturing creativity, imagination and self-expression through music, movement, role play, art, design and imaginative exploration. Our key texts inspire children to share their ideas, experiment with different materials and express themselves in a variety of ways.

Together, the seven areas of learning provide a rich, balanced and connected curriculum that supports every child to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for their next steps. At Brougham Street, we recognise that every child is unique, and we carefully build on their interests, experiences and individual needs to ensure that learning is meaningful, engaging and full of wonder.

Alongside our carefully planned curriculum, we recognise the importance of following children's interests and fascinations. Our Early Years Educators and Practitioners use their observations and professional knowledge to respond to children's ideas and extend their learning through in-the-moment opportunities.

We provide a balance of adult-led experiences and child-initiated learning, ensuring that children have opportunities to learn with and alongside knowledgeable adults, while also having the freedom to explore, investigate, make choices and lead their own learning.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Our curriculum is enriched by a wide range of experiences that help children to develop their understanding of themselves, others and the world around them.

Every week, our children have the opportunity to attend Forest School, where they can explore the natural environment, develop physical confidence, take appropriate risks, investigate and build resilience through hands-on experiences.

We also provide weekly Yoga sessions, supporting children's physical development, body awareness, balance, coordination, relaxation and emotional wellbeing.

Our learning extends into the local community, with regular trips and visits that allow children to experience familiar places and develop their confidence in the wider world. We also welcome a variety of visitors into our setting, providing children with opportunities to meet new people, experience different perspectives and make connections between their learning and the world around them.

These experiences are an important part of our curriculum and provide meaningful opportunities for children to develop across all areas of their learning and development.

Building on Every Child's Journey

Our Toddler Room curriculum is responsive to each child's individual starting point. We carefully observe, listen and reflect so that we can identify what each child already knows and can do, and consider how we can support them to take their next steps in learning and development.

We celebrate children's achievements, interests and individuality, while providing an environment where they are encouraged to become increasingly confident, independent and curious learners.

Working in Partnership with Families

We recognise that parents and carers know their children best and are therefore an essential part of our curriculum. From the very first home visit, we work closely with families to develop a shared understanding of each child.

Our ongoing communication with families enables us to celebrate achievements, share experiences and ensure that learning and development are supported both at nursery and at home.

Our Toddler Room curriculum is built on strong relationships, meaningful experiences and a deep understanding of each individual child. Through a carefully considered balance of adult-led and child-led learning, rich experiences and strong partnerships with families, we provide children with the confidence, curiosity and foundations they need for the next stage of their learning journey.

Our Nursery School Curriculum

At Brougham Street Nursery School, we are proud to offer a high-quality, teacher-led curriculum, delivered by highly skilled and knowledgeable Early Years Educators who have “extremely high expectations for all children and have developed an exemplary curriculum offer.” (Ofsted)

Our curriculum is ambitious, carefully planned and rooted in our understanding of how young children learn best. We recognise that every child is unique, with their own interests, experiences and starting points. We use these interests to develop exciting Big Question projects that spark curiosity, encourage children to think deeply and inspire them to explore the world around them. These big questions provide a meaningful focus for learning, enabling our staff to plan rich experiences and purposeful opportunities that build on what children already know and move each child’s learning forward.

Our curriculum encompasses all seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), ensuring children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for their next steps. We carefully weave learning across these areas, creating meaningful connections through stories, play, exploration, conversation and first-hand experiences.

To strengthen children’s learning further, we provide daily, carefully planned mathematics sessions, informed by the White Rose Maths approach. These sessions develop children’s early mathematical understanding, confidence and problem-solving skills through practical, engaging experiences.

We also deliver daily TWITCH (Talking with Tales for Children) sessions, using this evidence-based programme to support children’s communication, language and early literacy development. Through rich stories, meaningful discussion and opportunities to develop vocabulary, children build the foundations they need to become confident communicators and enthusiastic learners.

At Brougham Street, our skilled educators know that the early years are a vital time for learning and development. Through high expectations, strong relationships and a thoughtfully designed curriculum, we nurture children’s curiosity, celebrate their achievements and ensure every child is supported and challenged to reach their full potential.

Enriching Our Curriculum

At Brougham Street Nursery School, we believe that some of the most powerful learning happens through first-hand experiences, meaningful relationships and opportunities to explore the world beyond the classroom. Our curriculum is enriched by a wealth of carefully planned experiences that spark curiosity, develop new skills and create lasting memories. These are not simply additional activities; they are an integral part of our curriculum offer, providing meaningful opportunities for children to deepen their knowledge, develop confidence and apply their learning in real-life contexts.

We are incredibly fortunate to have our own qualified Forest School Leader, enabling children to enjoy weekly Forest School sessions where they can explore nature, take appropriate risks, develop resilience and build a deep connection with the natural world. Alongside this, our qualified Woodwork Practitioner provides weekly woodwork sessions, allowing children to develop practical skills, creativity, problem-solving and perseverance as they work with real tools and materials in a carefully supported environment.

Practical learning is woven throughout our week. Children cook and bake regularly, developing their mathematical understanding, language, independence and knowledge of healthy food. We also have our own allotment plot nearby in Skipton, where children have the opportunity to plant, grow, nurture and harvest their own fruit and vegetables. These experiences help children understand where food comes from, appreciate the natural world and take pride in caring for something over time.

Our local community plays an equally important role in bringing learning to life. Through regular visits to local places and community spaces, including our local mosque and church, children develop an understanding of different faiths, beliefs and ways of life. We are also proud to take part in the annual Skipton Music Festival and provide weekly singing sessions, nurturing children’s musicality, confidence, creativity and sense of belonging.

Visitors also make a valuable contribution to our curriculum, bringing new experiences, knowledge and perspectives into nursery. These encounters help children make connections between their learning and the wider world, encouraging them to ask questions, share ideas and develop an understanding of the people and communities around them.

Through these rich and varied experiences, we ensure that our curriculum extends far beyond the classroom. Every opportunity is thoughtfully connected to children’s learning and development, helping them to become curious, capable, creative and confident learners who are ready to embrace the next steps in their journey.