A new early years curriculum aimed at nurturing a love of learning has been introduced in nurseries across Berkshire.

The programme, called ‘Bee Curious,’ has been carefully developed by specialists at Busy Bees, the UK's largest childcare provider.

It is set to benefit around 1,000 children across Busy Bees’ 10 centres in Berkshire.

The curriculum was 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.

(Image: Busy Bees)

The Bee Curious programme is designed to build on the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, a statutory framework that all childcare providers must follow.

The aim is to provide children with a set of broader, deeper, and richer learning opportunities that will give them a strong foundation for future learning.

The curriculum incorporates a sequenced progression model, ensuring children fully understand each stage of learning before moving on to the next.

This approach 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.

Ms Jones 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 Berkshire 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." Activities in the curriculum reflect the range of skills such as improving concentration through knowledge-based activities, 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.