Nursery curriculum explained: EYFS, structure and East London choices

Not all nurseries teach the same curriculum, even though many parents assume they do. In England, every nursery must follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, but how each setting interprets and delivers it varies considerably. For parents in East London choosing a nursery for their preschool-aged child, understanding this distinction is genuinely important. The EYFS sets a national baseline, yet nurseries have real freedom in how they bring it to life. This guide explains what the EYFS curriculum covers, how nurseries adapt it, and what to look for when making your choice.

Table of Contents

• What is the EYFS curriculum?
• How nurseries tailor the EYFS curriculum
• Activities: Play-based learning, adult-led sessions and assessment
• Policy debates and different approaches: EYFS, Montessori and school readiness
• Applying it all: What to ask and expect when choosing a nursery
• Explore Sunflower Nursery locations and support
• Frequently asked questions

Key Takeaways

Point	Details
EYFS sets the baseline	Nursery curricula in East London follow EYFS standards but adapt for local needs and child differences.
Tailoring for each child	Nurseries customise activities, especially for SEND children, using inclusive practices and flexible assessment.
Play and structure balanced	Effective nursery programmes combine play-led and adult-guided sessions for holistic early development.
Ask informed questions	Parents should ask about curriculum adaptation and observe how each nursery meets children’s unique needs.

What is the EYFS curriculum?

The EYFS, or Early Years Foundation Stage, is the statutory framework that governs the education and care of all children from birth to age five in England. Every registered nursery, childminder, and reception class must follow it. It is not optional, and it applies whether a setting is private, maintained, or voluntary.

The EYFS curriculum covers seven areas of learning, divided into three prime areas and four specific areas. Understanding this structure helps you see what your child is actually working on each day.

The three prime areas are considered the foundation for all other learning:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

The four specific areas build on these foundations:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

Here is a comparison of how these two groups differ in purpose:

Area type	Focus	When it develops
Prime areas	Core skills, relationships, physical growth	Birth to age three, most critical
Specific areas	Knowledge, creativity, early academic skills	Builds from age three onwards

The EYFS provides a shared baseline, but it is not a rigid script. Nurseries have professional discretion in how they sequence activities, which resources they use, and how they assess progress. Reviewing your nursery’s nursery policy framework gives you a clearer picture of how they interpret these requirements locally. If you are still in the process of selecting a setting, the nursery applications guide is a useful starting point. Familiarising yourself with EYFS terms before visiting nurseries will also help you ask more informed questions.

With a basic understanding of EYFS, let’s explore how nurseries shape this framework to suit your child’s unique needs.

How nurseries tailor the EYFS curriculum

Nurseries are not simply delivering a fixed lesson plan. Nurseries must tailor their EYFS curriculum to individual children’s needs, following four guiding principles: the unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments, and learning and development. These principles mean that two children in the same room may be working towards different goals using different approaches.

In East London, local authority guidance adds another layer. Tower Hamlets, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest each offer their own early years support programmes, which nurseries may draw on. Some settings integrate community languages into daily routines. Others prioritise outdoor learning or cultural celebrations that reflect their local population.

Local variation	Example approach	Benefit for children
Multilingual environments	Dual-language story sessions	Supports home language and English
Cultural representation	Festivals and community events in planning	Builds identity and belonging
Outdoor learning focus	Forest school sessions or garden play	Develops physical and sensory skills

For children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), curricula adapt via inclusive practices such as visual timetables, sensory resources, and differentiated assessment methods. A SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) is typically involved in planning for these children, ensuring their individual targets are embedded into daily activities rather than treated as separate.

Pro Tip: When visiting a nursery, ask specifically how they adapt their curriculum for children with different learning needs. A confident, detailed answer is a strong indicator of quality practice.

You can explore how different settings approach these adaptations through our overview of curriculum choices and preschool curriculum examples in East London.

Understanding these adaptations sets the stage for seeing how different types of activities are used within nurseries.

Activities: Play-based learning, adult-led sessions and assessment

A common question from parents is: how much of the day is structured, and how much is free play? The honest answer is that most quality nurseries blend both, and the balance matters.

Play-based learning is central, with child-initiated activities forming the majority of the day. However, adult-led sessions provide structure, introduce new concepts, and ensure children are progressing across all seven areas. A typical morning at an East London nursery might include a child-led construction activity, a small group phonics session, outdoor play, and a shared story time.

Ofsted evaluates how well a nursery delivers its curriculum using three key questions:

1. Intent: What does the nursery want children to know and be able to do?
2. Implementation: How are activities planned and delivered to achieve this?
3. Impact: What progress are children actually making as a result?

This framework means nurseries must be able to articulate their curriculum thinking clearly, not just describe what children do each day.

“The best nursery environments are those where children feel free to explore, but where skilled practitioners know exactly when and how to step in and extend that learning.”

Pro Tip: During a nursery visit, observe whether staff follow the child’s lead during play or redirect children frequently. Child-led interactions are a sign of strong EYFS practice.

Our South Woodford nursery and Ilford nursery both demonstrate this balance in their daily routines, combining structured group sessions with extended periods of self-directed play.

With practical activities and assessment clarified, parents can consider different philosophies and policy debates shaping nursery curricula.

Policy debates and different approaches: EYFS, Montessori and school readiness

The EYFS is not without its critics, and understanding the broader debate helps you make a more informed choice. Play-based learning is core to EYFS, but experts debate the balance with structured activities, particularly around school readiness versus child-centred nurture.

Montessori settings, for example, take a different approach. Rather than group activities led by a practitioner, Montessori environments emphasise independence, self-paced learning, and child-chosen tasks. Here is how the two approaches compare:

• EYFS: Group activities, practitioner-led sessions, holistic development across seven areas
• Montessori: Individual work cycles, child-chosen tasks, strong focus on independence and concentration
• EYFS: Assessment through observation and progress checks at age two and at the end of reception
• Montessori: Assessment through observation, with less emphasis on formal milestones

Policy tensions exist between nurturing children through play and Family Hubs on one hand, and target-driven school readiness metrics on the other. Experts warn that an overly narrow focus on academic preparation risks reducing the breadth of early years experience.

“A curriculum that is narrowed to meet school readiness targets misses the point of early childhood education entirely. Children need space to wonder, to move, and to connect.”

For parents navigating this, the key is to look for a nursery that holds both values: one that prepares children for school without sacrificing the richness of early play. Guidance on easing nursery transitions and achieving a smooth drop-off can also help once you have made your choice.

Now that we have discussed philosophies and policy differences, let’s look at what this means for you when choosing a nursery in East London.

Applying it all: What to ask and expect when choosing a nursery

Visiting a nursery with the right questions in mind makes a significant difference. High variation in local authority practices has been noted across early years settings, which means the quality and character of provision can differ even between nurseries on the same street.

Here is a checklist of questions and observations to guide your visit:

• How does the nursery plan activities across all seven EYFS areas?
• How are children’s individual interests incorporated into daily planning?
• What does the setting do to support children with SEND or additional needs?
• How does the nursery communicate children’s progress to parents?
• Are learning environments well-resourced, accessible, and stimulating?
• How does the nursery balance child-initiated and adult-led activities?
• What is the key person system, and how does it work in practice?

What you observe matters as much as what you are told. Watch how staff interact with children during free play. Do they get down to the child’s level? Do they ask open questions? Do they follow the child’s lead rather than redirect constantly?

Pro Tip: Observe how staff respond when a child shows interest in something unexpected. A practitioner who pauses and engages with that curiosity is demonstrating excellent EYFS practice in action.

Expect nurseries to be transparent about their curriculum intent. A well-run setting will be able to explain not just what children do, but why, and how it connects to each child’s individual development. If a nursery cannot articulate this clearly, that is worth noting.

Explore Sunflower Nursery locations and support

If you are ready to explore nurseries that take these curriculum principles seriously, Sunflower Nursery puts them into practice across East London. We follow the EYFS framework with bespoke adaptations for each child, including tailored support for children with SEND and a strong commitment to inclusive, play-rich environments.

Our South Woodford nursery and Ilford nursery both offer welcoming, well-resourced settings where children thrive. Visit our parent support page for further guidance on funding, settling in, and what to expect from your child’s early years journey with us. We welcome visits and are happy to answer your questions in person.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main areas of learning in nursery curricula?

The EYFS covers seven areas of learning: three prime areas (communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development) and four specific areas (literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design).

How do nurseries in East London adapt their curriculum for SEND children?

Nurseries use inclusive practices such as visual timetables, sensory resources, and differentiated assessment to support SEND children, with a SENCO typically involved in individual planning.

What is the balance between play-based activities and structured sessions?

Most nurseries combine child-initiated and adult-led activities, with play forming the majority of the day and structured sessions used to introduce new concepts and track progress.

How does Ofsted evaluate nursery curricula?

Ofsted inspects nurseries by examining Intent, Implementation, and Impact, assessing whether the curriculum is well-planned, effectively delivered, and making a measurable difference to children’s development.

Are Montessori nurseries different from EYFS-based nurseries?

Yes. Montessori’s independence focus contrasts with EYFS group activities and holistic development goals, though both approaches value child-led learning in different ways.

Recommended

• Nursery curriculum choices in East London 2026 explained
• Understanding nursery policies in East London for 2026
• Nursery applications in East London: your 2026 guide
• Childcare terminology parents need to know East London 2026

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