Learning in nature
We believe the most meaningful learning happens when it stems from a child’s own curiosity. Mouse’s Garden provides a safe and thoughtful environment where your child can explore and grow in an unstructured yet fully supported setting. We embrace a child-led approach where learning is guided by your child’s interests as they arise. All toys are natural and thoughtfully chosen, encouraging imaginative play and a deep connection to the environment.
Mouse’s Garden is more than just a nursery — it’s a place where children grow wild and free, supported by nature and community.
Our Learning Approach
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) — the UK’s statutory framework for children from birth to five years. It sets the standard for learning, development and care across all Ofsted-registered early years settings. The EYFS is built around four key principles that guide everything we do:
Every child is a unique and competent learner.
Positive relationships help children become strong and independent.
Enabling environments nurture curiosity through rich, stimulating experiences.
Children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates.
For children under three, the focus is on the three Prime areas of learning:
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This area focuses on a child's self awareness, confidence, and ability to form and maintain positive relationships. It includes developing self-regulation, managing emotions, and understanding the feelings of others.
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This area encompasses a child's ability to listen, understand, and express themselves effectively. It covers not only spoken language but also the development of listening skills and the use of language to communicate their ideas and engage in imaginative play.
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This area focuses on a child's gross and fine motor skills, movement, and coordination. It includes developing skills in handling objects, moving around safely, and using their bodies effectively in various activities.
As children grow, this foundation broadens to include the four Specific areas:
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This area focuses on developing skills in reading and writing, including comprehension, word reading, and writing. It aims to equip children with the ability to understand and create written language.
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This area centres on developing numeracy skills, such as understanding numbers, geometry, measurement, and statistics. It helps children grasp mathematical concepts and problem-solving abilities.
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This area involves guiding children to explore and understand their physical and social world, including people, places, technology, and the environment. It fosters curiosity, observation skills, and an understanding of the world around them.
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This area encompasses children's ability to express themselves creatively through art, music, and drama. It encourages imaginative thinking, self-expression, and the ability to engage with different art forms.
Following your child's lead...
Following your child's lead...
We also embrace In the Moment Planning (ITMP), where learning is guided by each child’s unique and spontaneous interests.
Our practitioners closely observe play and gently step in to support thinking with thoughtful questions, vocabulary, and resources — all without interrupting your child’s flow.
Rather than fixed lesson plans, we capture individual “wow moments” — spontaneous bursts of learning and discovery, which may develop into imaginative play, a whole group project or more.
We use these observations to gently track development and celebrate your child’s journey. This in turn helps us tailor support and share progress with you in a respectful and responsive way.
Our community based environment also enables older and younger children to intermix throughout the day, enriching both their educational and societal skillset through scaffolded learning.
