Holistic Learning in the Nursery
Freedom to explore, space to grow
At St Chris, we believe that play is the most powerful way for children to learn. Through play, children absorb knowledge naturally, develop creativity, and build the essential life skills that will stay with them for years to come. Our focus is not only on early academic development but on nurturing a genuine love of learning from the very beginning.
Our Learning Approach
The Nursery is rooted in child-initiated learning through free-flow play, guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). We recognise the significance of these formative years, which is why we create an environment where curiosity is encouraged, independence is celebrated, and children feel confident to explore.
Children enjoy a balanced curriculum shaped by play-based experiences. Our practitioners support learning through sensory exploration, imaginative play, and collaborative activities, helping children to build friendships, confidence, and communication skills in a relaxed and supportive setting.
With our open-classroom approach, children have free access to both indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the day. This freedom enables them to follow their interests, take ownership of their learning, and develop at their own pace, supported every step of the way.
| Exploratory Play for 3-Year-Olds |
|---|
| Our curriculum focuses on nurturing the natural curiosity of 3-year-olds. Through exploratory play, they develop fine motor skills, interact with their peers, and start comprehending the world around them. It’s a crucial foundation for their educational journey. |
| Educational Play for 4-Year-Olds |
| For 4-year-olds, our curriculum offers educational play that helps them delve deeper into their interests. They begin to grasp essential concepts, enhance their communication skills, and foster creativity through expressive arts. |
Maintaining our Progressive Outlook on Education
As an independent school, St Chris has the freedom to enrich the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with a blend of highly effective approaches to early childhood education. This means our youngest learners benefit from an educational experience that is both rooted in proven principles and responsive to the world around them.
Our Nursery draws inspiration from early years pioneers such as Vygotsky (the value of adult–child interactions), the McMillan sisters (outdoor learning and wellbeing), and Froebel (free-flow play). These influences shape a curriculum that balances thoughtfully planned, play-based experiences with the freedom of spontaneous learning, led by the child’s own interests.
In this way, children are supported to develop not only their cognitive abilities, but also their independence, imagination, and emotional growth. Each day offers opportunities to explore the world, strengthen motor skills, enjoy sensory play, and practise effective communication.
Creativity is fostered through expressive arts, while daily freedom of choice — whether playing inside, outside, or in collaboration with friends — allows each child to feel ownership of their learning and joy in discovery.
Curriculum Topics
Within the Nursery, we have an overarching curriculum approach which informs which skills are planned for and taught. The overarching principle gives us the freedom to develop and adapt topics based on the individual child’s interest and ideas. Pupil voice is an important part of daily life in the Nursery, children are encouraged to give input and voice their interest which help the staff to shape and personalise learning. Children have free access throughout the day to both inside and outside learning areas and learn mostly through child-initiated activities with a smaller proportion of adult-led activities. Our Nursery staff are experts in providing exploratory play for 3 and 4 year-olds, encouraging creative learning while helping our youngest learners develop resilience and emotional growth.
Integrated into the curriculum are seven key areas of learning which guide the Nursery curriculum:
| Personal, Social & Emotional Development |
|---|
| At St Chris Nursery, we nurture each child’s growing sense of self and belonging. Through play and gentle guidance, children begin to understand the importance of sharing, taking turns, and forming friendships. They learn to recognise, talk about and express their emotions, developing empathy and kindness towards others. Over time, these early experiences help to build confidence, resilience and a sense of responsibility within our caring community. |
| Communication & Language |
| Our Nursery is a language-rich environment where every conversation matters. Children develop their listening and speaking skills through daily interactions with both adults and their peers. We model clear, expressive language, introduce new vocabulary, and encourage children to communicate their ideas in full sentences. Through stories, songs, and everyday experiences, children learn to listen attentively, respond thoughtfully, and take joy in sharing their voice with others. |
| Physical Development |
| Physical development is woven through everything we do. From climbing and balancing outdoors to using paintbrushes, scissors and pencils indoors, children are encouraged to explore how their bodies move and what they can achieve. We focus on building strong core and gross motor skills to support the finer movements needed for writing and self-care. Opportunities for movement, coordination and control are available each day through both adult-led sessions and Child-Initiated Learning. |
| Literacy |
| A love of books and stories lies at the heart of life in the Nursery. Daily story times bring language to life through rhyme, rhythm and imagination, introducing children to a wide range of literature. They learn to handle books carefully, notice illustrations, and begin to understand story structure and meaning. Early phonics and sound awareness are introduced through playful activities, songs, and everyday experiences. Our oldest Nursery children begin to explore phonemes, graphemes and blending skills, setting the foundations for confident reading and writing. |
| Mathematics |
| In Nursery, mathematics is part of everyday life. From counting at snack time to noticing shapes in the playground, children are surrounded by numbers, patterns and measures. Through play and exploration, they develop early number sense and mathematical vocabulary. Once confident with the basics, children are supported to deepen their understanding through mastery-based activities, helping them to make meaningful connections between what they see, do and think. |
| Understanding the World |
| Children learn about the world around them through discovery, conversation and curiosity. Our topics invite them to explore the seasons, weather, and changes in nature, as well as the diverse communities and traditions that make up our world. We celebrate festivals, family stories and special occasions, encouraging children to share what makes them — and their experiences — special. Through comparing and contrasting their own lives with others, children begin to appreciate difference and recognise their own place within a wider world. |
| Expressive Arts & Design |
| Creativity flourishes at St Chris Nursery. Each day, children are encouraged to explore colour, texture, sound and movement through art, music, and imaginative play. Whether painting, singing, building or crafting, they have endless opportunities to express themselves and develop their own ideas. Our adults guide and inspire children to talk about their creations, reflect on how they feel, and take pride in their achievements — all while exploring the joy of creativity. |
| Child Initiated Learning |
| Child-Initiated Learning (CIL) is at the heart of our approach. It gives children the freedom to explore, imagine and take ownership of their learning. During these sessions, children follow their own interests while adults observe, support and gently extend their play to build new skills and understanding. Learning often emerges spontaneously and evolves over days, creating rich opportunities for discovery. CIL helps children to make sense of their world, develop independence, and find joy in their learning journey. |
Children in the Nursery enjoy weekly sessions led by specialist teachers combined with the teaching from their dedicated Early Years specialist team where this is deemed best practice for development. Specialist sessions include:  
| Forest School |
|---|
|
At St Chris, our Nursery children enjoy weekly Forest School sessions led by a trained Forest School teacher. These sessions nurture curiosity, confidence and independence through hands-on experiences in the natural world – in every season and all weathers. Through play and exploration, our youngest learners' develop teamwork, problem-solving and self-regulation skills while building a lasting connection with nature. They expand their vocabulary, engage in sensory discovery, and practise practical skills such as handling ropes and sticks, pulling, pushing and twisting. Children also begin to notice patterns and cycles in the environment and are introduced to the basics of fire awareness, all within a safe and supportive setting. Forest School is rooted in respect for each child’s ability to explore, question and grow – laying strong foundations for their learning journey. |
| Music |
| We have a very passionate music team that nurture creativity, self-expression and confidence through joyful musical experiences. Children explore the magical world of sound and rhythm, developing an early appreciation for music through singing, playing instruments and movement.   |
| Swimming Lessons |
| One of the early principles of St Chris was that all children – even our youngest – should develop their ability to swim for both safety and enjoyment reasons. Children enjoy weekly lessons in our on-site indoor pool, led by certified instructors. Children build water confidence and essential swimming skills in a safe and supportive environment and instil a lifelong love for physical activity through the joy of swimming.   |
Planning and Observing
We use Tapestry as an online learning journal to observe and record your child’s progression during their time in the Nursery. Each child is observed individually and in an on-going way, enabling us to make informed decisions about how best to support their learning. It also helps us track them against the EYFS framework, enabling us to ensure that their developmental progression is supported.
You will be invited to two parents’ evenings a year, and you will also receive two school reports throughout the year. The Nursery staff are also available to speak to at drop off and pick up and can be contacted for an appointment at any point during the year.
