Note that this map is a guide only and planning will evolve according to the motivations, interests and curiosity of the children as unique individuals.
We are aspirational for all our children and approach every ‘in the moment’ opportunity with a growth mindset by scaffolding learning opportunities.
| Main Topics | ‘Me, My Family, My school, My world’ | Autumn, harvest, woodland animals, spiders and mini beasts. | ‘Feelings’ | Extra Topics International Day of Sign language (23rd September) Black history month (October) Halloween (31st October) Diwali 1st November |
| Texts and rhymes to support learning | Children’s ‘All about me’ The name jar by Yangsook Choi Owl babies I like myself by Karen Beaumont | Stick man by Julia Donaldson Incy Wincy Spider The very busy spider by Eric Carle Spindarella by Julia Donaldson The oak tree by Julia Donaldson Pumpkin soup by Helen Cooper Superworm by Julia Donaldson | The colour monster The feelings song | My first heroes’ black history book Diwali- Rama and Sita story |
| Communication and language | Introduce ourselves- say our name and what we like. ‘Show and tell’ on ‘all about Me’s’ Welcome song- daily Engage in daily shared book reading ‘Show and tell’ about our adventures in the local community during the summer e.g. did we go to the holiday club, the beach or park? How many people are in our family? | Explore new vocabulary by exploring unfamiliar words and concepts through stories and activities. Talk about what’s happening to the change in seasons and give their own ideas. I can tell you about what happens to trees in the Autumn. I can tell you some of our native woodland animals I can tell you the features of a spider and how they weave their webs | Carpet time to talk about feelings and what they mean. Have you ever felt happy, sad or angry? What, where and why? questions | Learning ‘good morning’ and ‘good afternoon’ in signalong Learning ‘please and thank you’ in signalong. Learning milk or water in signalong |
| Personal, social, emotional development | Self-identity Being kind- having kind hands and feet Understanding Nursery rules and routines Learning to turn take | Being kind to animals and mini beasts. Collecting a food bank box for harvest festival- talk about how this helps people less fortunate than ourselves. | Understanding feelings- group time reading and looking at the colour monster book. Looking at visuals of facial emotions and relating them to the emotion colours. Beginning to recognise feelings with visual support. Managing feelings when separating from parents/carers | Black history month-Celebrating differences in people. |
| Physical development | Independent toileting and washing hands Self- dressing- fastening coats and shoes Daily outdoor activities to progress gross motor skills- running, bike riding, climbing on the climbing frame, ball games Daily fine motor skills with Playdough play, drawing, painting, water play and mud kitchen mixing. | Autumn woodland walks- collecting pinecones, sticks and resources for art activities and mud kitchen. Bug scavenger hunt Fine motor skills in cooking and creative arts and design. | ||
| Mathematics | Showing awareness of the numbers in the environment Recognise some numbers of personal significance- such as age. Finger numbers up to 5 or 10 | Counting bugs on our nature walks Making autumnal soup- Measuring and weighing ingredients. Collecting and counting autumn findings | Diwali paper plate -Rangoli art using cut out shapes- identifying shapes | |
| Literacy | Begin to become familiar with the formation of name/recognising name- daily self-sign in. Learning sounds in own name Learning to write own name- starting with first letter formation. | Mark making- tree rubbings | ||
| Understanding the world | Talk about our adventures in the local community during the summer e.g. did we go to holiday club, the beach or park? What do we like the best in our Nursery Environment our favourite things, activities? (maybe a vote or questionnaire) Talk about people who are significant to us and family traditions e.g. birthdays, celebrations | Harvest- I can tell you what crops grow in Norfolk and what machinery is used, Tractors, combine harvesters etc. Where does our food come from? Farming, Vegetables, berries Healthy eating | Talk about empathy and how our actions might make someone upset and sad. | Talk about the great’s of black history – read my heroes black history book in group time. Diwai is known as the festival of lights -Read the story of Rama and Sita in group time. |
| Creative arts and design | Self-identity – self-portrait (Picasso) Observe ourselves in mirrors and create representations. Beginning to make note of features such as eyes, nose, mouth. Cutting features from magazines to make collages in the style of picasso. Draw a picture of own house and family Owl babies- creating felt owls, cutting sticking and retelling story | Pumpkin carving Create spider web pictures Create tree rubbing pictures- autumn leaves. Painting with autumnal colours- colour mixing | Feelings portraits- Happy or Sad | Black history month- Alma Thomas – scrap paper collage of concentric circles Pumpkin carving Pumpkin suncatchers Diwali lanterns Diwali- Lakshmi’s footprints- drawing around each other’s feet, cutting and decorating. |
