At Beech Green, we believe that play is a fundamental part of childhood and a child's right. Through play, children explore, experiment, imagine and make sense of the world around them, developing their understanding, language, relationships, creativity and problem-solving skills. We value children's play as an important part of learning and take time to observe, listen and understand what children are communicating through their play. By responding to their interests, ideas and fascinations, we build on what children already know, introduce new experiences and extend their learning. Our role is to provide the time, space, resources and skilled interactions that allow children to become deeply involved, curious and purposeful learners through play.
Continuous Provision and the Learning Environment
Our continuous provision provides children with rich opportunities to revisit, practise and apply their learning through purposeful play and exploration. Children are encouraged to make independent choices about where they would like to learn and play, accessing a carefully planned range of resources and experiences across the classroom and outdoor environment. This child-initiated learning, is called ‘Choice and Challenge’ and has been carefully timetabled to allow periods of time for children to become absorbed in their play. Alongside this, children also take part in adult-directed challenges and focused activities, giving them opportunities to develop specific knowledge and skills and apply their learning in meaningful contexts.
We place great importance on our outdoor classroom, recognising that being outdoors provides unique opportunities for children to develop physically, socially and emotionally. Our indoor and outdoor provision work together to create an environment where children can explore, investigate, create, collaborate and challenge themselves, with skilled adults supporting and extending their learning.