Our Policies

Curriculum, Development and Play Policy

📅 Last Reviewed: November 2024 | 🔄 Next Review: November 2025 | ✍️ Reviewed By: C. Cuthbertson

At Tiny Toez our curriculum is created to support children throughout the stages of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), providing quality learning experiences that are structured, balanced, relevant and rooted in play.

The Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the first part of the National Curriculum, focusing on the distinct needs of children from birth to the age of 5 years. Our nursery curriculum provides children with quality learning experiences which are structured, balanced, relevant to the child, related to the real world and rooted in play.

Our curriculum seeks to promote a positive self-image and independence within a supportive environment. Attainment of skills and factual knowledge is combined with instilling values and positive attitudes. Personal, social and emotional development is equally important.

Our Aims

  • To provide a curriculum which takes account of and responds to children's development needs, allowing them to make progress related to their differing abilities — "What the child can do" is our starting point
  • To ensure that children have positive experiences of success at their own levels, giving them confidence and motivation for learning in the future
  • To provide a curriculum which offers equal learning and development opportunities for all children within the nursery
  • To create a partnership with parents and carers to support and enhance the development of children

Our Partnership with Parents

Parents are regarded as members of our setting who have full participatory rights. We aim to ensure parents feel:

💛 Valued & Respected

Every parent and carer is treated with courtesy, respect and warmth at all times

📢 Kept Informed

Regular updates on your child's progress, development and daily activities

💬 Consulted

Your views and wishes are actively sought and taken into account

🤝 Involved & Included

Parents help to shape the service we offer at all levels

What We Ensure for Every Child

  • A safe and stimulating environment at all times
  • Generous care and attention through our qualified staff-to-child ratios
  • The chance to join with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together
  • Support to build on what they already know and can do
  • A personal Key Person who ensures each child makes satisfying progress
  • A setting where parents are seen as partners in helping each child to learn and develop

The EYFS Framework

The principles which guide the work of our Early Years Practitioners are grouped into four key themes:

A Unique Child

Every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured

❤️ Positive Relationships

Children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person

🌱 Enabling Environments

The environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning

🌈 Individual Learning

Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates — all areas of learning are equally important

Characteristics of Effective Learning

We support children to develop through three key characteristics of effective learning:

1
Playing and Exploring — Engagement

Finding out and exploring, playing with what they know, and being willing to have a go.

2
Active Learning — Motivation

Being involved and concentrating, keeping trying, and enjoying achieving what they set out to do.

3
Creating and Thinking Critically — Thinking

Having their own ideas, making links, and choosing ways to do things.

Seven Areas of Learning

Our curriculum is built around three prime areas and four specific areas of learning. All areas are important and interconnected.

Three Prime Areas

🗣️ Communication & Language

Rich language environments, confidence in expressing themselves, and learning to speak and listen in a range of situations

🏃 Physical Development

Active and interactive opportunities to develop co-ordination, control and movement, plus healthy choices around food and activity

💛 Personal, Social & Emotional Development

Positive sense of self and others, social skills, managing feelings, and confidence in their own abilities

Four Specific Areas

📚 Literacy

Linking sounds and letters, beginning to read and write, with access to a wide range of reading materials to ignite interest

🔢 Mathematics

Counting, numbers, simple addition and subtraction, and describing shapes, spaces and measures

🌍 Understanding the World

Exploring people, places, technology and the environment to make sense of their physical world and community

🎨 Expressive Arts & Design

Exploring media and materials, sharing thoughts and feelings through art, music, movement, dance, role-play and design

Learning Through Play

Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to think. Our setting uses the EYFS practice guidance to plan and provide a range of play activities which help children make progress in each area of learning and development.

In some activities children decide how they will use the activity, and in others an adult takes the lead. In all activities, the EYFS guidance has been used to decide what equipment to provide and how to provide it.

Assessment

We assess how young children are learning and developing by observing them frequently. We use information gained from observations, photographs and videos to document their progress and where this may be leading them.

We believe that parents know their children best. We ask parents to contribute to assessment by sharing information about what their children like to do at home and how they are supporting development.

We make termly assessment summaries of children's achievement based on our ongoing development records. These form part of each child's online Learning Journal on Famly and are completed at regular intervals as well as at times of transition — such as when a child moves into a different group or goes on to school.

Daily Routines

Our setting believes that care and education are equally important in the experience we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the day are provided in ways that:

  • Help each child to feel that they are a valued member of the setting
  • Ensure the safety of each child at all times
  • Help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group
  • Provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning

Our routines are organised so that children can take part in a variety of child-chosen and adult-led activities, taking account of children's changing energy levels throughout the day. The setting caters for children's individual needs for rest and quiet activities. Outdoor activities contribute to children's health, physical development and knowledge of the world around them.

Our Story

Over 20 years of helping children feel safe, happy and ready to thrive

Tiny Toez has grown from a passion for nurturing early years care into a trusted nursery family supporting children, parents and communities across the Midlands and London.

Every nursery has its own local feel, but they all share the same Tiny Toez values: warm relationships, safe spaces, playful learning and genuine care for every child.

20+ Years Experience
9 Nurseries
160+ Team Members
Why Families Choose Us

Childcare that feels personal, supportive and full of opportunity

From the first visit to every milestone after, our teams work closely with families to make nursery life feel calm, happy and reassuring.

01

Experienced nursery teams

Friendly, qualified staff who understand how to help children settle, grow and shine.

02

Strong parent partnerships

Clear communication, regular updates and a joined-up approach between nursery and home.

03

Local nurseries with heart

Each setting has its own community feel while sharing the same Tiny Toez values.

04

Learning through play

Creative, age-appropriate activities that build confidence, curiosity and independence.

What Matters Most

Every child deserves a happy start

Choosing a nursery is one of the most important decisions a family can make. That's why we focus on creating environments where children feel secure, valued and excited to learn every single day.

Through caring relationships, engaging activities and strong partnerships with parents, we help children build confidence, independence and a genuine love of discovery.

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Kind words from our Tiny Toez families

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CHILDCARE FUNDING

Help with Childcare Costs

Many families are eligible for government-funded childcare and support schemes. Here’s a quick guide to what may be available.

15 Hours Funded Childcare

Families in England with children aged 3 to 4 years can access 15 hours of funded childcare per week during term time.

30 Hours Funded Childcare

Eligible working families may be able to access up to 30 hours of funded childcare for children aged 9 months to 4 years.

Help with Childcare Costs

You may be able to reduce childcare costs through Tax-Free Childcare or claim back up to 85% through Universal Credit.

Our Nursery Locations

👉 Our Staffordshire Nurseries

Explore our welcoming nurseries across Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding areas.

  • East Valley
  • Westfield
  • Treehouse
  • East Staffs
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👉 Our Midlands Nurseries

Discover our nurseries across the wider Midlands region.

  • Cannock Chase
  • Tamworth
  • Tividale
  • Lords & Ladies
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👉 Our London Nursery

Visit our London nursery, offering a nurturing and inspiring environment.

  • Hunter House
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