Every child is different. We start there.
We don't believe in a single fixed method or a branded approach. We believe in paying close attention to each child — what makes them curious, what makes them confident, what they need more time with — and responding accordingly.
Our approach is rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which guides everything from how we plan learning activities to how we communicate with parents. But EYFS is a floor, not a ceiling. Our team brings genuine professional experience to the space above it.
We think early years care is about much more than keeping children safe and occupied. It's about the quality of relationships — between children and their key person, between children and their peers, between the nursery and the family. Those relationships are the foundation that everything else is built on.
What the EYFS means for your child.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework that all registered childcare providers in England follow. It sets out the seven areas of learning and development — from communication and language to physical development, personal and social development, and more — that guide how we plan your child's time with us.
In practice, EYFS means:
- Our team plans activities that support all seven areas of development, not just the ones that are easiest to measure.
- We track your child's progress against age-appropriate milestones — and act quickly if we have any concerns.
- Everything we do has to be justifiable as being in your child's best interest. That includes our environment, our routines, and how we speak to children.
We review each child's progress five times a year and share those updates with parents. Find out more about how we track development →
Learning that doesn't feel like learning.
For young children, play isn't a break from learning — it is learning. It's how they develop language, physical skills, creativity, social understanding, and emotional resilience.
At Smithfield, our rooms and outdoor spaces are set up to invite exploration and discovery. Children choose where to spend their time, and our team is there to extend, encourage, and gently challenge — not to direct.
That said, we also know that structure and routine matter — especially for very young children. Our days have a rhythm that children come to rely on, which makes the more open, child-led periods feel secure rather than overwhelming.
Happy first. Everything else follows.
We've been doing this long enough to know that a child who feels secure and happy in their environment learns better, eats better, sleeps better, and settles faster. Wellbeing isn't a nice-to-have — it's what makes everything else possible.
Every child at Smithfield has a key person — a member of staff who is their consistent point of contact, who builds a relationship with them and with you, and who pays particular attention to how they're doing. When your child starts with us, it's their key person who will lead the settling-in process.
We take transitions seriously, whether that's your child's first week with us or the move from one room to the next as they grow.
We work best when we work together.
You know your child better than anyone. We know early years development. The best outcomes happen when those two things combine.
We communicate with parents regularly — through our Famly app, at pick-up and drop-off, through our five-times-yearly development updates, and through the open-door approach we've always had. If something's on your mind, there's always someone to talk to.
