How we teach

Our Curriculum — Alban Preschool Nursery in High Barnet EN5

Our Curriculum

Play-based, child-led learning rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage — designed to spark curiosity, build confidence and prepare every child for life.

The framework

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The EYFS sets the standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5. It helps your child get ready for school and supports their future learning and wellbeing.

From birth to age 5, your child's early years experience should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure — supporting their development, care and learning at every stage.

Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through seven areas of learning and development.

EYFS Framework diagram

Seven areas of learning

How Children Learn and Develop

Three prime areas — developed first

Communication & Language

Listening, attention, understanding and speaking — the foundation for all future learning and social development.

Physical Development

Gross and fine motor skills, moving and handling, health and self-care — learned through outdoor play, climbing, drawing and cooking.

Personal, Social & Emotional

Self-confidence, self-awareness, managing feelings, making relationships — the building blocks for a happy, fulfilling life.

Four specific areas — built on the prime areas

Literacy

Reading and writing introduced through stories, phonics, mark-making and a genuine love of books.

Mathematics

Numbers, shapes, space and measures — explored through play, counting and hands-on problem solving.

Understanding the World

People, communities, the natural world, technology — we celebrate diversity of cultures and religions.

Expressive Arts & Design

Creativity through art, music, dance, role play and construction — self-expression at the heart of every day.

Keyworker with child at Alban Preschool

How we care

The Keyworker Approach

Every child at Alban is assigned a dedicated keyworker — a named practitioner who acts as their trusted go-to person each day.

Your child's keyworker helps them feel safe and secure, carries out the majority of observations, and is your primary point of contact. This relationship is at the heart of our approach to early years care.

The keyworker will greet your child at the door, support settling in, and document their learning journey through weekly diary entries and Tapestry observations — building a rich picture of your child's development that you can see in real time.

Open Tapestry

Our spaces

Where Learning Happens

Butterflies Room

For children aged 2-3. Our youngest children begin their journey here, in a nurturing, sensory-rich space filled with imaginative play, soft materials and gentle routines.

See the room

Bumblebees Room

For children aged 3-4. A lively, welcoming space where children grow in independence, build friendships and develop their communication and early mark-making through play.

See the room

Ladybirds Room

For children aged 4-5. More structured play-based learning, early phonics, numeracy and preparation for the transition to school.

See the room

Garden & Hadley Common

Our secure garden leads directly to Hadley Common — woodland, duck ponds and open grassland that extend our classroom into nature.

Targeted support

Focused Interventions

Alongside our whole-group curriculum, keyworkers run small planned sessions with individual children or tiny groups to strengthen specific areas of development — speech and language, fine motor skills, early maths or social confidence.

These sessions are led by observation, tracked through each child's learning journal, and shared with families at progress reviews.

Areas of focus
  • Speech & language
  • Fine & gross motor skills
  • Early maths & literacy
  • Social & emotional confidence

See it for yourself

Come and Meet the Team

Book a visit and we'll show you around — no obligation, just a warm welcome.

Book a Visit

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