Goals and Milestones

become a confident learner

Why?	Children thrive when they feel safe, valued and loved. Emotional self- regulation is a critical support for development and learning.
First milestone: Children make a strong relationship with their key person. Increasingly, they separate confidently from their parent at the start of the session and become involved in their play. They use their key person as a ‘secure base’ throughout the session, ‘touching base’ as/when needed.	Children spend time with their key person. The adults in the nursery tune in as they play together, finding out children’s fascinations. Adults support children to recognise their emotions using books and the calm area. They support children through co-regulation. Children’s confidence grows to spend more time sitting and interacting with their key group at group time.
Component	Spend time at Nursery managing their emotions with support.
Second milestone: Children hear the language of learning, and start to understand it, as they explore an increasing range of areas in the nursery.	As children grow in confidence, their involvement in nursery activities deepens. They explore a wider range of activities. They play for longer periods of time. They play alongside friends. They play collaboratively. They develop their ‘pretend play’. As children’s engagement and perseverance grows, they either challenge themselves with more difficult activities, or they respond positively to adults challenging them.
Component	Explore a range of activities have the confidence to ‘have a go’.
Third milestone: Children persevere with difficulties. They make comments on their learning showing pleasure ad pride in what they have done.	As children play and learn more collaboratively, over longer time periods, and taking part in more challenging activities, they talk about and reflect on their learning.
Component	Talk about what they are doing or have done using the words ‘thinking’ or ‘learning.’
Final milestone:(Composite) Children reflect on their learning in conversations. They are ready for learning. They use the language of learning. They comment on their thinking and the ways they go about their learning. They reflect on what helps them to persevere through difficulties and what helps them when they find things hard. Children show they are developing their metacognition.

communicate what makes them special

Why?	We nurture children towards having a high self-esteem and an appreciation of diversity and the wider world.
First milestone: Children can make a choice based on their interests, likes and dislikes. They can identify their family.	Children are encouraged to bring in a photograph of their family from home to display in their group areas (or one is taken on the home visit). The children are encouraged to make their own choices. A persona doll is introduced to children to share experiences.
Component	Identify family members.
Second milestone: Children can act out family experiences that are familiar to them.	Festivals and celebrations are shared and explored such as Diwali, Eid, Hanukkah, weddings, Christenings, birthdays and Christmas. The persona doll highlights differences and supports tolerance.
Component	Share a special occasion.
Third milestone: Children can notice differences and similarities such as skin colour, gender, types of hair special needs and disabilities in picture books and within the setting and wider community.	Our diverse community is shared through multicultural activities and visiting parents and groups such as drummers, doctors, dentists and dancers. Adults use books and resources such as Who are you? You Choose, Magic Families, when discussing differences and similarities.
Component	Communicate something which is similar and something which is different about themselves and someone else.
Final milestone:(Composite) Children can recognise the difference and similarities between themselves and their peers. Children care for others and know how to make them feel better. They can talk about what they are good at, what they are an expert in and what makes them unique.

ride a balance bike

Why?

First milestone:

Children sit on a trike with good balance and scoot along.
Children can manoeuvre the balance bike by themselves – picking up the bike, walking alongside.

As children become more confident at scooting, they will develop more control through steering and stopping/starting. They will not crash into so many things.

Children will hold the balance bike by the handle bars and bend their knees when lifting. They will look where they are going before manoeuvring the balance bike, keeping relaxed elbows.

Component

Balance and move on a trike
Pick up and walk alongside Balance Bike

Second milestone:
Children pedal and steer their trike.
Children will mount the Balance Bike from the left hand side (in preparation for their ‘cycling career’)

As children become better at co-ordinating pedalling and steering, they will be able to navigate challenges e.g. riding in and out of cones, or over a set of hollow blocks.
Children will be able to hold the bike with both hands on handle bars, lift right leg over from the rear and place both feet on the floor either side of the bike (practice by playing bench shuffle before bike).

Component

Steer safely round obstacles
Mount the Balance Bike

Third milestone:

Children sit on a Balance Bike with good balance, with both feet on the ground.
Children will know how to stop on the Balance Bike using feet.

Once children become more confident at balancing, they scoot slowly along keeping one or both feet on the ground. They begin to use the handlebars to avoid obstacles and other children.

Children will learn to stop by dragging the flats of their feet along the ground to come to a gradual halt.

Component

Balance and move on a 2-wheel bike, knowing how to stop using feet.

Final milestone: Children ride a Balance Bike, balancing with both feet off the ground (gliding), and maintaining control by steering and being able to slow down or speed up. They can ride a Balance Bike safely around the playground.

Care for our plants and environment

Why?

Being in touch with the natural world is important to our well-being and understanding lifecycles, how food grows and minimising waste is now an essential part of our lives as humans. If we immerse children in regular, daily, first-hand experiences then natural science becomes immediate and relevant. We want our children to notice, value and care for the natural world around them, developing a deep respect for nature.

First Milestone:

Children become familiar with the natural environment within the nursery including insects, wormery, plants, habitats etc. They will help take care of it with adult support, eg. Watering plants, preparing allotment, planting bulbs.

Children are introduced to the fish who live at nursery and chickens who visit occasionally and notice the insects and animals who live in or visit the natural nursery environment. They develop an understanding of how to treat the plants, fish, animals and insects learning that they all need respect and to be treated gently.

They will put food waste in wormery.

Component

Take care of the nursery environment including, adding food to wormery, being gentle with plants and insects and feeding fish.

Second milestone:

Children observe animals, plants and wormery closely. They notice and talk about the features of animals, plants, minibeasts.

Children have repeated experiences and are able to observe animals, plants, wormery and environment closely. Adults will support them to develop their knowledge as they closely observe, notice and can talk about features.
Adults will teach skills and knowledge through practical activities such as cooking food or observing ice melting outside.

Component

Observe and name features of our natural environment (such as plants, herbs, leaves, insects etc) within the Nursery gardens.

Third milestone:

Children are introduced to lifecycles of some animals, minibeasts and plants. They can talk about how to take care of them.

Children have many experiences of lifecycles happening throughout their time at nursery. Children plant seeds and observe changes and growth. They watch and follow closely the metamorphosis of creatures including caterpillars and ladybirds. Adults will provide additional resources, books and interactions to support children to learn about growth and decay.

Component

Talk about lifecycles of plants and animals and how to take care of them.

Final milestone:(Composite) Children have the knowledge and skills to care for some animals and plants within the nursery, understanding that they must be fed, watered and treated gently to survive and grow. They will be able to talk about features of the natural environment and the lifecycle of chickens, minibeasts and plants.

Create an artwork using a range of stimuli

Why?	Creative play allows young children the freedom to be able to explore their thoughts and feelings and come up with new and original ideas. We want to foster a love of art and creativity in our children. We want children to learn to express their own ideas and express themselves using their curiosity and imagination.
First milestone: Children learn how to use and look after the creative area. They will begin to access the creative area with adult support, experimenting with using the resources. They will apply a variety of colour paint using different tools. They will be able to put their pictures on the dryer.	Group times will be planned to introduce specific skills and materials. Children are shown where they can access the creative resources, including moveable parts, how to use the tools such as paint brushes and glue sticks and the collage materials. Children will be able to experiment freely with the range of resources, sometimes using one type of medium and other times layering their painting with collage materials and pastel crayons for example. There is no need for a planned end outcome, rather an opportunity to experiment and learn what everything does, how it feels and how it can all work together to produce a piece of art.
Component	Access resources in the Creative Areas to produce a piece of art with adult support.
Second milestone: Children become more independent at accessing creative resources during free flow. They are aware that their creative art can take many forms and is not restricted to paper. Children will be shown how to join and use modelling materials together to begin to build 3d art. They build up their experience of using a range of materials so that some may begin to plan for an end outcome and consider how they may want their art to look.	Children will choose to use our creative areas independently. Areas will be well stocked allowing the children free choice of all the resources. Children may need reminding to clear away and clean the equipment after use. In group time children will be shown how to use clay as a medium to make models. They will also learn how to join different materials together. Children will have free access to scissors and masking tape, glue and other joining materials.
Component	Create a 3d model.
Third milestone: Children understand that art is a form of communication and is a valuable part of who we are. They will be exposed to a variety of artists and their work, highlighting the techniques that the artists use. They will experiment with those techniques and media and with adult support will begin to use the influences in their own art work.	Every child will have an opportunity to experiment with various artistic styles during Group Time and artist’s art work will be available to the children during free flow to inspire and talk about. Children will learn the important role of art and creativity in helping express themselves.
Component	Talk about what you want to make and create it.
Final milestone: (Composite) children independently use a variety of techniques they have learnt to create pictures or models.

construct a model at the woodwork bench

Why?	We want children to be able to plan, construct and learn to handle tools confidently and safely. We want then to be able to take risks, to explain their choices and talk about what they have made and how they have made it.
First Milestone: Children undertake woodwork induction with 1:1 support.	Children will learn the rules of the woodwork area. How to stay safe by wearing safety glasses when tools are in use. They will see where things are kept and how to store them safely. Under close adult supervision children will be taught how to hammer a tee into a pumpkin or a nail into a piece of wood.
Component	Hammer a golf tee into a pumpkin or a nail into a soft piece of wood.
Second milestone: Children independently access woodwork. New tools are introduced, with an adult, e.g. hand drill, screwdriver, saw	Children access the woodwork bench and explore using the hammer and nails when an adult is close by. New tools are introduced with adult supervision.
Component	Control a tool safely and use different materials.
Third milestone: Children have repeated experiences at the woodwork bench. As they construct they think about what they are creating and how they want it to look e.g. “I’m making a car; it has four wheels.”	With support children use tools safely and with increasing confidence. Children tell adults their ideas as they create. They problem solve with adult support through trial and error.
Component	Communicate about what they are doing as they are constructing.
Final milestone: (Composite) Children use the skills they have learnt to construct a model. They choose the materials they want to use, shape materials with tools, and join materials together.

follow a recipe

Why?	We want to instil a love of cooking in our children whilst developing the ability to work independently and follow instructions in sequential order.
First milestone: With adult support, children mix different ingredients, including; sand and water, and flour and water to make simple playdough. They use the following tools; wooden spoons, sieves, scoop, rolling pins, cookie cutters and knives. They follow simple recipes in areas such as the mud kitchen.	As children take part in these activities, they become more precise in using scoops (filling the scoop carefully to the top); they count the scoops as they tip them out; they use a wide range of different-sized buckets, tins and other containers. Children become confident in using tools at the snack table to prepare their own snack e.g. spreading butter on toast.
Component	Mix 2 or more substances together using tools.
Second milestone: In a small group, children follow the steps in making a chapatti with an adult. The adult draws children’s attention to the recipe card. With adult help, children use measures (teaspoon, tablespoon, cup etc) and tip in the ingredients. With adult help, they knead the flour until it becomes soft and cover it. With adult help, they roll the dough into small balls and flatten. They help to cook these and reflect on the process.	As children take part in these activities, they become more precise in using scoops (filling the scoop carefully to the top); sometimes with adult help they count the scoops as they tip them out.
Component	Follow all the steps in the recipe card with support.
Third milestone: In small group cooking activities, children follow the steps in making dough with an adult. Children use measures (teaspoon, tablespoon, cup etc) and tip in the ingredients. With adult help, they knead the flour until it becomes soft and cover it. They roll the dough into small balls and flatten. They reflect on the process and observe the changes once cooked.	As children become more used to cooking, the adult reduces their support for the group as they follow recipe cards.
Component	Fill measures accurately to the top.
Final milestone: (Composite) Children follow the steps of a recipe independently. They measure ingredients, mix them and create their own bread roll by placing the mixture onto a grease-proof try ready to be baked.

Make up a story

Why?

Reading and Writing float on a sea of talk. We want our children to understand story structure so that they can make up, perform and tell stories. We want to ignite their interest in stories to build a firm foundation for their literacy learning.

First milestone: Children join in with role-play and play imaginatively with ‘small world.’ Children join in with repeated refrains from well-known stories.

The Nursery environment has lots of opportunities for children to play imaginatively. Stories are read for children to join in with, repeat phrases and ‘act out’ parts using facial expressions and hand movements. Adults use the words character, setting, problem and solution when read stories.

Component

Join in with repeated refrains/ actions in a well-known story.

Second milestone: Children take part in interactive reading. They respond to features of the story. Children join in with the group, using the resources to make up stories together.

Adults read core books over the term. As children become more used to interactive reading, they ask questions and make links between what happens in the story and their own experiences. Adults highlight exciting story language to use later in their own storytelling.

Children are introduced to the concept of character, setting, problem and solution with interesting resources, actions and songs. Groups make up stories together each week.

Component

As part of a group make up a simple story with character, setting, problem and solution.

Third milestone: Children tell stories that they have made up. They retell well-known stories using props/ picture books. Children begin to become familiar with the way stories are structured.

Adults begin to scribe stories that the children have made up. This can be continued in group time and during free flow.

Story sequencing resources are available in free flow to inspire children to create stories together.

Adults read stories, discussing the characters, setting, problem and solution, modelling a variety of story language.

Component

Children begin to make up their own stories in free flow.

Final milestone: (Composite) Children use the available resources to make up their own story developing the character, setting, solution and problem.

Write with a purpose in mind

Why?

We want children to see themselves as writers and use mark making, symbols and letters in their play as a way of communicating to others.

First milestone:
Children begin to use mark-making equipment independently.

Adults use group time and play opportunities to model writing every day, highlighting its meaning. Adults make sure that print, books, and mark-making resources are everywhere.
As children watch adults modelling writing for a purpose, are read to and see print around them that is read to them; when they have exciting resources with which to mark-make, they will begin to really value writing and will want to have a go themselves.

Component

Use mark making equipment independently

Second milestone:
Children will have access to a variety of paper to mark-make and write messages to take home or deliver to a member of staff or another child. Children’s messages may also take other forms such as chalk outdoors – using arrows to lead children to a message at the end of a trail.

Adults will model writing for different purposes and read writing from left to right and top to bottom, running their finger under the words. Adults will show print has value and meaning and will support children’s own writing attempts.

Component

'Write a message to others'

Third milestone:

Children develop an increasingly wide range of purposes for mark making and early writing to support their play such as making signs, letters, cards, tickets and maps.

Children will begin to imitate adult’s writing by producing continuous lines of shapes and symbols.

Adults plan activities that focus on collaborative and purposeful mark making and early writing. Children will start to use vertical lines, circles and zig zags to imitate writing from left to right and ‘read’ what it says.

Adults support children in taking their learning into their own play.
Children in taking their learning into their own play.

Component

Use writing type marks independently

Final milestone: (Composite) Children choose to write in a range of play situations with a purpose in mind, making letter-type shapes and attempting some recognisable letters from their own name.

Explore Numbers using a variety of resources

Why?

We want children to become confident with numbers to 5 and the relationships between them and the patterns within them.

The skill of subitising and using 5-frames builds up children’s knowledge of Number and Number patterns. We want to lay a firm foundation in ‘The Five C’s’ – cardinality, conservation, counting, comparison and composition. We want children to experience bigger numbers and begin to relate their knowledge of them to build up firm foundations within our number system.

First milestone: Children begin to subitise and can answer the questions ‘what do you see and how do you see it?’

Children learn to subitise up to 3 counters and know that they are ‘subitising’ when they can see how many without counting. Adults do lots of noticing with children – mathematical vocabulary is used.

Component

Can subitise to 3. Children talk about number.

Second milestone:

Children can show the different quantities on a 5-frame using subitising and handle and partition groups of similar objects (part/whole). Children build up an image of what amounts look like (pictorial image). Children join in with number rhymes, saying some numbers in sequence.Children can count objects, actions, and sounds in a short sequence.

Children use counters on five frames and begin to understand the concept of one more. Children explore larger groups of objects – and can talk about what they see within a larger group (part/whole). They build up a picture of what totals look like using a variety of resources including Numicon.

Children recite numbers past 5. They count things such as sounds and jumps.

Adults introduce, model and children join in with a range of number rhymes with props e.g. Five Green and Speckled Frogs, Five Little Ducks, One, Two, Three, Four Five…

Component

Children explore number within 5 and build up a range of number skills.

Third milestone:
Children relate their knowledge to a range of ‘real life’ situations – e.g. getting the right number of cups for the children at snack time.
They can show you numbers to 5 on their fingers, with counters and using Numicon tiles. They know that when you add more objects to a group the total increases.

Children are given learning opportunities to see what totals are made up of e.g. 5 is 4 and I and 3 and 2, 2 and 1 and 1 and 1. (Part, whole)
Children experience moving objects in different ways and realise that the number stays the same even though the resources have moved. (Move it to prove it)
Children count out amounts from a larger group in real life contexts and use a variety of resources when counting to represent numbers.
Numerals are used to represent amounts to 5.

Component

Children start to use their Number knowledge throughout the Nursery, seeing connections with what they have learnt at group times.

Final milestone: (Composite) Children use, talk about and apply knowledge of cardinality, counting, comparison, conservation and composition in different play and real-life situations.