Engage has been built around the concept that all children are skilful communicators; this encompasses both verbal and non-verbal communication skills and starts with ku:sign. The foundations for literacy are built through speaking and listening skills and it is important that children receive the right support and guidance to lay these building blocks at an early age.

ku:sign

• Being able to make sense of visual and verbal signs including facial expression and hand gestures enables them to become skilful communicators, to assist with this important learning and development we use ku:sign in our nurseries.
• Is an activity carried out at all our nurseries and starts with babies from eight months.
• This activity empowers non-verbal communicators, especially babies as they become able to control their physical movements, they can express their needs and make themselves understood. ku:sign is a precursor to verbal communication.
• We have chosen a scheme based on British Sign Language to use in our nurseries as it is specifically created for children of all ages and is very easy for parents and other carers to learn.

• Download now ku:sign parent pack

The aim of our ‘create’ programme is to provide a stimulating environment in which creativity, originality and expressiveness are valued. With the child as a starting point they are given freedom to develop and explore materials, feelings, thoughts and ideas in an unrestricted way.

ku:music

• ku:music encourages children to experiment with and explore sound. They can express different emotions through using different rhythms or volumes and moving to music helps children to learn about timing and beats.

ku:art

• Our ku:art programme recognises the vital importance of allowing children to explore different media, materials, textures, colours, space and shape to form independent opinions. From the early stages of mark making through to writing their own name and painting their own self portrait ku:art empowers children through guided exploration to develop their creative abilities.

We learn much of the behaviour that stays with us for the rest of our lives by the age of five – how to interact with others and our environment, how we treat our bodies and our attitudes to food. ku:active is about children developing a healthy sense of self, developing good habits and setting the principals for a future healthy lifestyle.

ku:physical

• Through a wide range of physical activities including playing with balls, hoops, ropes, cones and skittles children’s gross and fine motor skills are developed. Our staff are trained to build children’s confidence in physical activities, encouraging them to learn about safe risk taking and persisting in their play and activities.

ku:dance

• Is a programme specifically designed to help children understand how their bodies move through responding to music and encouraging natural and spontaneous movement.
• Children learn to move with confidence and imagination, safely developing a sense of awareness of space, self and others.

Our ‘learn’ programme includes ku:gardening and ku:cookery, its aim is to encourage children to question and understand how and why things work. Our trained nursery teams will encourage children to explore, observe, predict and discuss elements in the real world to understand how we impact them and how they change and grow.

ku:gardening

• ku:gardening aims to encourage children’s natural interests and curiosity and helps them understand the world around them, building upon the six area of learning as set out by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The older children develop appropriate language for labelling and naming plants and seeds and the younger ones understand the different textures of natural materials. ku:gardening takes place all year round both in and outdoor and is a vital way for children to understand the impact of nurturing and caring.

ku:cookery

• Our ku:cookery programme is designed to help children understand different tastes and textures. The practical understanding of what happens when you bake food and change it from cold to hot or runny to solid helps children explore “what happens if …” and the basic scientific concepts associated with it. Weighing, measuring and counting all forms part of ku:cookery. ku:cookery also educates children on the benefits of healthy eating and encourages and supports the development of good habits that will accompany them going to school.