Nurseries in South Manchester launch leading new early years curriculum

Busy Bees, the UK’s largest childcare provider, is launching a new curriculum in centres across South Manchester, focused on early years development The curriculum will be rolled out in Busy Bees’ nine centres in South Manchester, providing more than 900 children with access to a rich and holistic early education.

The programme has been created by Gill Jones MBE, Busy Bees’ Group Chief Quality Officer and Former His Majesty’s Inspector and Deputy Director of Schools and Early Education at Ofsted, with contributions from leading experts in all aspects of early years education.

Developed in line with the latest child behavioural science research, the Bee Curious curriculum is designed to build on the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, (a statutory framework that all childcare providers must follow), to provide children with a set of broader, deeper and richer learning opportunities that will give them a stronger foundation for future learning. The curriculum incorporates a sequenced progression model which means that practitioners will make sure a child understands and is secure in each stage of learning before progressing to the next.

This focus on ensuring a solid understanding at each stage of learning will enable children to build key skills and knowledge throughout their formative years. Learning is tailored to each child’s individual pace, style and interests to develop a robust foundation to build upon.

The curriculum has been created around core themes – such as vocabulary, developing a love of stories, and understanding basic mathematical concepts – that are scientifically proven to support better outcomes in life. Delivered to the highest standard through playful teaching, Bee Curious adapts to each child’s individual needs and uses play-based learning to make education exciting and enjoyable. 

Activities within the curriculum reflect the broad range of skills and knowledge children need to get off to a great start in life, from improving concentration through knowledge-based activities to building an appreciation for self-expression through the arts, with a view to not only giving children a head start for school but setting each child up for long-term success.

Gill Jones, Group Chief Quality Officer at Busy Bees said: “At Busy Bees, we have over 40 years of experience and we're always looking at innovative ways to ensure we're offering our children the best start in life. Busy Bees is hugely excited to launch the Bee Curious curriculum across our South Manchester nurseries as part of this mission.

“Thanks to the guidance of industry-leading experts on child behaviour and development, and insight from scientific research, as well as our global network of practitioners, the Bee Curious curriculum combines a wealth of knowledge to encourage play-based learning that taps into the natural curiosity of our children.

“Supporting children for better outcomes in life is at the heart of what we do, and we look forward to nurturing a love of learning in each child at our centres.”

To find a Busy Bees near you, visit: https://www.busybeeschildcare.co.uk/find-a-nursery