Curriculum
Intent
At Busy Beacons, Forest School Principles are at the heart of our philosophy. Through this programme we give children opportunities to develop their self-esteem, build confidence, manage risks, develop physical literacy and experience nature, all of which offers opportunities for holistic growth.
As we build strong partnership with parents/carers we understand what the children’s gaps are and build our curriculum around their needs. The highly qualified staff have a deep understanding of how children learn and develop and therefore have a strong focus on developing the ‘Prime’ areas of learning first. The staff also have secure knowledge in the characteristics of learning and therefore prioritise teaching children to be resilient, think of their own ideas and have a sense of achievement about the things they can do. We pride ourselves on helping children to understand their own emotions and teach them to self regulate.
Implementation
Implementation
We value the need for knowledgeable, experienced staff to implement our intentions. Staff speak clearly to children and introduce new words and vocabulary to a high level.
We have high expectations of behaviour and staff explain and model good behaviour using words and visual prompts. Higher achieving children are stretched to their full potential because staff plan activities that challenge their thinking. Similarly children who need extra support or encouragement are carefully observed and intervention is implemented where necessary. All planning is adapted to meet the needs of all of our children. Adults respond and plan based on what the children love and are interested in. We listen to our parents because you know your children best.
Impact
The observations that we make of our children show that children have embedded learning and skills.
They show high levels of well-being and involvement as they play and interact. They develop strong characteristics of learning and speak clearly to adults, using more words and vocabulary. The children show a good understanding of how to manage their own safety and can make choices about what they want to do. Children with additional needs make excellent progress because we understand their needs and give them meaningful experiences.
