Personal, social and emotional development

Every child is allocated a key worker who will work closely with their key children to ensure that every child, and their family, feel welcomed, supported and happy in our setting. “Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others.” (Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage 2021)

To ensure that our environment is predictable, we have the same areas, resources, and routines to make self-regulation physically and emotionally manageable. We teach children how to manage their feelings and behaviour using the zones of regulation. “The Zones is a systematic, cognitive-behavioural approach used to teach us how to regulate our feelings, energy and sensory needs in order to meet the demands of the situation around us and be successful socially.” (L Kuypers 2011)

To develop children’s understanding around healthy living, children have access to snacks and water/milk all day. They can help themselves to fruit/vegetables, and often in the moment, children have the opportunity to make their own toast and bake. Children are taught to wash their hands, use the toilet and dress themselves for outdoor play. We scaffold the children’s learning to meet the individual needs of all children.

Oral health

Oral health has been added to the statutory framework for the early years 2021 because good oral health habits need to be formed from an early age. “Despite improvements in oral health over the last forty years, poor oral health remains a significant public health problem. Tooth decay is the main oral health problem affecting children in Sheffield and has significant impacts on the daily lives of children and their families including pain, sleepless nights and time missed from school and work. By five-years of age, 36% of children in Sheffield have tooth decay with each child having between three and four decayed teeth. Sheffield also has one of the highest rates in England for extraction of children’s teeth under general anaesthesia.” Sheffield teaching hospital 2016.

We run tooth brushing club in our EYFS every day. The children are taught how to brush them properly, how much toothpaste to use, and how else they can look after their teeth, including going to the dentist and eating/drinking less sugary foods/drinks. Children are only offered milk or water at school. Cakes and buns are only offered when it is someone’s birthday or a party for filling the class marble jar.