The Team 

Natasha Walker - Lower School Lead

Sarah Cardwell – Early Years Foundation Stage Lead and Nursery Teacher

Nichola Kemble and Rosemarie Wilson – Reception Teachers

Emma Jones, Nikki Smith, Grace Cabot and Kacey Godfrey – Nursery Teaching Assistants

Laura Marcelino and Katie Du Feu – Reception Teaching Assistants

 

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Plat Douet

At Plat Douet, we offer a warm and nurturing environment for Nursery and Reception children. Our goal is to inspire every child to be "the best they can be" by providing a rich language environment and high-quality learning opportunities. We believe that communication and language are the foundation of a great education, and we’re proud to be recognised as a centre of excellence on the island through Voice 21.

Learning Through Play

In Early Years, play-based learning is so important! Child-led activities are vital in your child’s development; we encourage children to explore, discover and learn in a way that’s exciting, engaging and personal to them. Our approach also includes adult-led activities, hands-on experiences (for example gardening and cooking) and targeted sessions focused on phonics, reading and maths. By following the children’s interests and offering a variety of learning and developmental opportunities, both indoors and outdoors, your child will progress in the skills needed to transition smoothly into Key Stage 1. We make sure learning is fun, developmentally appropriate and builds on what they’ve already learned.

High-Quality Interactions

A big part of our teaching in Early Years is about meaningful interactions. Our staff observe the children closely and join in with their play, helping them expand their language, deepen their thinking and develop new skills. We focus on fostering curiosity, concentration and a positive attitude toward learning, so children feel confident and motivated to "have a go" at new things.

The Importance of Outdoor Learning

We believe outdoor learning is essential for children’s development. It promotes health and wellbeing, boosts confidence and encourages exploration. Outdoor play offers opportunities to experience nature, be active and take on challenges in a safe, supportive environment. With our ‘free-flow’ system, children can choose to learn inside or outside, giving them the freedom to explore at their own pace and choice.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is based on a variety of key documents, including ‘Development Matters’, ‘Birth to 5’ guidelines and the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework’. We are also guided by the children’s interests and developmental needs to ensure our curriculum fulfils their needs. By focusing on key texts and creating enriching environments based around these texts, we support children’s imagination, creativity, and understanding.

 

Communication and Language

At the heart of our curriculum is language development. We provide plenty of opportunities for children to grow their vocabulary and communication skills through stories, songs, rhymes and rich language environments. Our staff are trained to support language development through everything we do – from the way we structure our day to how we interact with the children during activities. Communication and language are vitally important to build upon at home- this is an area our staff are happy to support parents with ideas.

Reading and Writing

Reading is a key part of our curriculum. Daily reading and writing opportunities are available. We know how important it is for children to enjoy books and understand them, so we make story time a daily part of our routine. In Nursery and Reception, we use ‘core books’ that shape our learning environments and inspire role play and discussion. Through these high-quality books, we help children develop their reading and writing skills, focusing on spoken language, comprehension, and creativity. We strongly encourage parents to encourage their child to read at home too.

Phonics

We follow the ‘Little Wandle’ phonics scheme, which starts in Nursery and continues through Reception. In Nursery, we begin by helping children develop listening and sound recognition skills through songs, rhymes and activities. In the Summer Term, we introduce letter sounds. In Reception, we start formal phonics lessons with daily sessions. For children who need extra support, we provide tailored support.

Maths

Maths is taught through hands-on experiences and meaningful activities that help children understand core concepts. We use the ‘White Rose Maths Hub’ scheme in Nursery. In Reception, we follow the ‘My Mastery’ approach. The planning guidance, strategies and resources help us plan exciting, interactive learning experiences that progress pupils’ Maths skills and prepare them for Key Stage One.

 

We are so excited for you to start your learning journey with us.