Curriculum Goals

By the end of Nursery 1 we hope that children will have gained the following skills:

Children will talk using sentences and phrases, displaying a growing vocabulary, including some simple adjectives such as colour or size.
They will be able to understand simple questions such as “where” and “who.”
They will be able to follow and listen to a short picture story or an adult telling them some information and/or an anecdote.

Children will be able to use a cup, and sit with a group to participate in snack or meal times.
They will be able to wash and dry their hands independently, and use the toilet, with help.
They will be able to take off clothes, such as their coat or shoes.
They will understand simple feeling of their own and others such as “happy” and “sad”.
They will be beginning to see themselves as part of group, and enjoy sharing experiences with others such as playing a game together.
They understand that there are boundaries or rules to follow.

Children are able to hold and use a variety of tools such as paint brushes, rollers, chalks and crayons.
They are able to crawl, walk, run and jump. They can use steps, using a hand rail to guide them. They are able to kick a large ball. They can build a tower using blocks.

Children join in with familiar rhymes and enjoy listening to short picture stories. They are beginning to have some favourite stories, and are able to repeat some phrases from them.
They are beginning to notice some familiar print, such as their name or brand names.
They are able to make marks with crayons, for example, and comment on the marks they have made.

Children are developing some counting like behaviour, such as pointing or saying some numbers in order.
They use simple mathematical language such as “more” and “a lot” and can recognise basic colours. They understand that objects have a place and the preposition “in”.
They understand time specific event, such as “home time” and language such as “now” and“then”.

Children can anticipate what comes next eg home time. They can talk about what they are doing/would like to do.
They know their own name and the names of people in their family. They imitate everyday actions in their pretend play.
They enjoy planning with small world toys, and notice features in their environment.

Children will begin to join in songs and rhymes that they know, possibly with actions or sounds.
They will be able to make sounds with percussion instruments.
They will move their bodies to sounds they enjoy such as favourite songs/music
They will engage in pretend play

By the end of their time in nursery we hope that children will have gained the following skills, ready to start their Reception Year.

Select and use activities and resources to achieve an end goal
Independent in meeting own needs: toilet, washing/drying hands, putting coats/shoes on/off
Play with other children, extending play ideas
Understand own emotions and those of friends
Resolve conflicts with talk, mostly without adult support