Communicate
Stories, songs, conversation and early mark-making.
LEARNING / EARLY YEARS
A joyful beginning. A lifelong curiosity.
THE LEARNING FRAMEWORK
See how learning connects.
Explore
Count, sort, notice patterns and investigate familiar objects.
Grow
Movement, creative expression, cooperation and independence.
Early education connects talk, play, movement and imagination. Children build spoken English, early literacy and number awareness through stories, songs, sorting, drawing, construction and shared exploration. Familiar routines help them settle, make friends and learn to care for themselves.
Six connected areas of development
Cambridge Early Years brings together communication and literacy, mathematics, personal/social/emotional development, physical development, understanding the world, and creative expression. Play connects these areas rather than separating the day into formal examination subjects.
What learning looks like
A story can lead to retelling, drawing a favourite character and counting objects from the scene. A planting activity invites children to notice change, describe leaves and practise taking turns. Adults use observation and conversation to understand each child’s next step.
Settling in and family partnership
Share the child’s previous nursery experience, home languages, interests, collection arrangements and any support needs during admission. Short, predictable goodbyes, regular attendance and everyday conversation support a confident start.
Moving towards Primary
Readiness develops through communication, independence, cooperation, early reading experiences and number sense. A child’s progress is considered across these areas; a single written task does not describe the whole learner.