A curriculum in Early Years is the carefully planned framework that guides what and how children learn during the most critical stage of their development. MiChild Matters is aligned with the prime and specific areas of learning set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, and draws on the non-statutory guidance of Birth to Five Matters and Development Matters.
Rather than using textbook language, MiChild Matters is written in a child’s voice. It recognises that every child is unique, and it gives parents a clear, jargon-free understanding of what their child is learning, why it matters, and how our team supports their progress.
The curriculum follows the prime and specific areas of learning set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage, organised into six pillars instead of seven (combining areas where natural overlap occurs). Each pillar is written by age range, from 0 to 12 months right through to preschool, with achievable learning goals that make sense for each stage.
This pillar is all about helping your child develop a strong sense of self. From learning to feed themselves and manage their own belongings, to making choices about what they want to play with or explore, we nurture independence at every stage. For babies, this might be reaching for a toy or holding their own bottle. For preschool children, it means dressing themselves, managing personal hygiene, and developing the confidence to try new things. Independence builds resilience, and resilient children are ready for whatever comes next.
Communication is at the heart of everything a child does. This pillar focuses on helping your child express themselves clearly and confidently, whether through babbling, first words, full sentences, or storytelling. Our practitioners model rich language every day, through conversation, songs, stories and imaginative play. We also use visual aids, dual-language storybooks and sign language where appropriate, ensuring every child has the tools to make themselves understood. Strong communication skills lay the foundation for reading, writing, and positive relationships.
Physical development is about so much more than running and climbing. This pillar supports your child’s gross and fine motor skills, from tummy time and crawling to balancing, jumping, threading, and using scissors. Our nurseries provide daily outdoor time, at least twice a day regardless of the weather, where children can explore natural environments, take manageable risks, and build physical confidence. Movement is fundamental to brain development, concentration, and overall well-being.
Mathematics for young children is not about worksheets. It is about exploring patterns, shapes, numbers and space through play. This pillar helps your child develop early mathematical thinking by counting during snack time, sorting objects by colour or size, building with blocks, and discovering concepts like ‘more’, ‘less’, ‘full’ and ‘empty’ through everyday experiences. By making maths part of the real world, we build a natural curiosity and confidence with numbers that children carry into school and beyond.
This pillar supports your child’s personal, social and emotional development. It is about helping children understand their own feelings, develop empathy for others, and build the social skills they need to form positive relationships. From learning to share and take turns, to managing big emotions and developing self-regulation, our practitioners guide children with warmth and patience. We integrate British values into our golden rules, celebrating kindness, respect, fairness and inclusion in everything we do.
Curiosity drives learning, and this pillar is designed to feed your child’s natural desire to explore, investigate, and understand the world around them. Through sensory play, experiments, nature exploration and creative problem-solving, children learn to observe, ask questions, test ideas and draw conclusions. Whether it is watching a caterpillar transform, mixing colours, or figuring out how to build a taller tower, every moment of discovery strengthens the thinking skills that underpin lifelong learning.
Through MiChild Matters, parents gain real knowledge about their child’s development. You will understand what your child is working towards, why our practitioners use specific teaching methods, and how progress is being made. All of this is communicated using the voice of a child, making it accessible and meaningful for every family.
