Child development

At LEYF, everything we do is rooted in child development. Our pedagogy, curriculum, daily routines and environments are all carefully designed around how children grow, learn and develop, ensuring they feel safe, secure and appropriately challenged to reach their next milestone. 

This ensures we are creating environments grounded in science that keep children safe, feeling secure, and provide appropriate levels of challenge to help them reach their next milestone. We take a holistic and individualised view of our children, and recognise that they might develop in different areas at different rates, and at different ages. 

This means we meet every unique child where they are, and tailor our approach to celebrate their achievements, and support them to deepen their learning at every opportunity. 

Baby rooms

The first year at nursery is a period of rapid development. The difference between a six-month-old who is just starting nursery and a 12-month-old who has learnt to walk, is beginning to use words and is exploring independently can be significant. Our baby rooms are designed to support children across this wide range of development, with environments, routines and experiences that meet every baby where they are and help them take their next steps. 

At this stage, babies are laying the foundations for future learning. They form secure attachments with familiar adults, begin to understand and use language, become increasingly mobile and explore the world through movement, play and their senses. Our curriculum focuses on the three prime areas of development: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, and Communication and Language, because these underpin all later learning. 

Every baby has a Key Person who builds a warm, responsive relationship with them and their family. Through our Harmonious Relationships approach, we recognise that secure attachments give children the confidence to explore, try new things and become increasingly independent. Whether a baby is rolling, crawling, taking their first steps or saying their first words, our practitioners adapt their interactions and the environment to support the next stage of their development. 

Toddler rooms

As children move into the toddler room, they are becoming more active, curious and independent. They are learning to communicate their needs and ideas, strengthen their movement and make choices within familiar routines. Our toddler rooms support this growing independence through carefully planned environments, responsive relationships and hands-on experiences that build on what each child already knows and can do. 

Toddlers learn through movement, play, exploration and repetition. Our Spiral Curriculum gives children opportunities to revisit familiar learning while adding new layers of knowledge, language and skill. Practitioners observe each child closely, adapting routines, experiences and interactions so children are supported to take their next steps at the right pace. 

The toddler years are also important for developing self-help skills. Children may begin to show interest in toileting, dressing, serving themselves or taking greater responsibility within daily routines. Practitioners work closely with families to support these milestones sensitively and consistently, recognising parents and carers as children’s first and most important educators. 

Communication and language development is woven through everyday practice. Through talking tables, dialogic reading, songs, stories and rich conversations, children hear and use a wide vocabulary within meaningful play. Adults model language, respond to children’s interests and support them to express their thoughts, needs and feelings with growing confidence. 

Emotional development is a key focus during the toddler years. Practitioners offer warm co-regulation, helping children recognise feelings, feel safe during dysregulation and begin to use simple strategies to calm and reconnect. Mindfulness-based experiences, such as yoga and breathing teddies, give children playful ways to notice their bodies and build early emotional awareness. 

Our Enabling Environments are designed to meet toddlers where they are. This includes physical spaces with age-appropriate resources, furniture and equipment, and an emotional environment where children feel secure, valued and ready to explore. Alongside the three prime areas of Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development, children also experience meaningful introductions to Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts and Design through play and continuous provision, preparing them for the next stage of their journey in preschool. 

Preschool rooms

By the preschool years, children are becoming more independent, curious and confident. Their language develops rapidly, allowing them to express their ideas, ask questions and build relationships with others. They begin to solve problems, persevere with challenges, regulate their emotions and take more responsibility for their own learning and daily routines. 

Alongside the prime areas of development, children explore Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts and Design through meaningful, play-based experiences. Our Spiral Curriculum continues to build on children’s interests and strengths, revisiting learning in ways that deepen their knowledge and skills. Our Multigenerational Approach gives children opportunities to learn with and from people of different ages, helping them understand the world around them, recognise how much they have grown and how they can help others, and begin to think about the next stage of their learning journey. 

As children prepare for Reception, we continue to develop their confidence, independence, communication and self-regulation so they are ready for a successful transition to school. We keep child development in mind here to ensure their preparation is still developmentally appropriate, and focuses on supporting the skills and strategies that will set them up for success, rather than starting school-work early. The children’s key worker continues to work closely with families during this time to support this big milestone as we wave off our LEYF graduates with pride!