Nursery Curriculum Overview
Children in Nursery begin their learning journey in a warm, welcoming environment where curiosity is nurtured and every child is celebrated. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed around engaging themes such as Who Am I?, Once Upon a Time, and Amazing Animals, which inspire exploration and creativity across all areas of development.
Learning is carefully balanced between direct teaching and child-led play, allowing children to explore, create, and discover at their own pace. Our environments are purposefully resourced to encourage independence and spark imagination—whether children are building with blocks, investigating nature, or sharing stories with friends. A strong focus on language and communication supports early development, while daily routines and social interactions help children grow in confidence and build positive relationships.
Curriculum Map
Autumn Term 1: Who Am I
Week Start of Term 1:
- Starting School / My New Class
- We Are All Different (Twinkl Story)
Week 2:
- Starting / My New Class
- Elmer (David McKee)
Week 3:
- Starting School / My New Class
- Ruby’s Worry (Tom Percival)
Week Start of Term 4:
- My Family
- Love Makes a Family (Sophie Beer)
Week 5:
- What am I good at?
- Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister)
Week 6:
- Human Body
- My Monster and Me (Nadia Hussain and Ella Bailey)
Week 7:
- Healthy Living
- Oliver’s Vegetables (Vivian French)
Autumn Term 2: Who Helps Me?
Week 1:
- People Who Help Us
- Emergency! (Margaret Mayo and Alex Ayliffe)
Week 2:
- Superheroes
- Supertato (Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet)
Week 3:
- Run, Run as Fast as You Can!
- The Gingerbread Man (Traditional Tales
Week 4:
- Careers
- Real Superheroes (Julia Seal)
Week 5:
- How do I make others feel?
- The Dot (Peter H. Reynolds)
Week 6:
- Christmas Lists
- What the Ladybird heard at Christmas (Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks)
Week 7:
- Letters to Father Christmas
- The Christmas Eve Tree (Delila Huddy)
Spring Term 1: Once Upon a Time
Week 1:
- Winter
- The Big Freeze (Pippa Curnick)
Week 2:
- Winter
- Blue Penguin (Petr Horacek)
Week 3:
- Traditional Tales
- The Tiger Who Came to Tea (Judith Kerr)
Week 4:
- Traditional Tales
- The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf (Axel Scheffler)
Week 5:
- Favourite Stories
- Goldilocks and The Three Bears (Lauren Child)
Spring Term 2: What's Outside?
Week 1:
- Growing
- The Tiny Seed (Eric Carle)
Week 2:
- Growing
- Jack & The Beanstalk
Week 3:
- What’s a Life Cycle?
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
Week 4:
- Fun Science (Floating and Sinking)
- The Smeds and the Smoos (Julia Donaldson)
Week 5:
- Fun Science (Weather)
- The Gruffalo (Julia Donaldson)
Week 6:
- Easter
- We’re going on an Egg Hunt (Laura Hughes)
Summer Term 1: Where Shall We Go?
Week 1:
- Journeys
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (Michael Rosen)
Week 2:
- Journeys
- Handa’s Surprise (Eileen Browne)
Week 3:
- Where in the World Have you been
- The Snail and the Whale (Julia Donaldson)
Week 4:
- Design your own transport
- Mrs Armitage on Wheels (Quentin Blake)
Week 5:
- How do I get there?
- Mr Gumpy’s Motor Car (John Burningham)
Week 6:
- Space
- Whatever Next! (Jill Murphy)
Summer Term 2: Amazing Animals!
Week 1:
- Safari Animals
- Rumble in the Jungle (Giles Andrea and David Wojtowycz)
Week 2:
- Down on the Farm
- Farmer Duck by (Martin Waddell and Helen Oxenbury)
Week 3:
- Minibeasts
- Mad about Minibeasts (Giles Andrea and David Wojtowycz)
Week 4:
- Habitats
- Rosie’s Walk (Pat Hutchins)
Week 5:
- Dinosaurs and Fossils
- Happy Hatchday (Rob Biddulph)
Week 6:
- Dinosaurs and Fossils
- Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School (Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds)
Contact: admin@tcat.education
Phone: 01392 304040
© The Cornerstone Academy Trust 2025
