Writing our own early years curriculum was something we’d talked about for ages, but honestly, it felt so big and intimidating that we kept putting it off. The statutory guidance says we can shape our own approach, as long as it’s based on the EYFS, but that freedom came with a lot of reservation. What if we got it wrong? What if Ofsted didn’t agree with our interpretation? Most importantly, what if we let the children down? The idea of building something meaningful and in line with our ethos was exciting but also daunting. We didn’t want to tweak the EYFS – we wanted to create something different, something that really felt like us.

It wasn’t until I heard Jan Dubiel speak at a conference a couple of years ago that things finally clicked. His words gave me the confidence to stop overthinking and start creating. After a lot of reflection, conversations, and time observing how the children chose to learn, The Cornish Curriculum began to take shape.

Influenced by brain development

Our ethos is based on an understanding of early brain development. A child's brain begins its development in the womb, and by birth, it is only a quarter of its adult size. Astonishingly, it doubles in size within the first year, reaching 80% of adult size by age three and 90% by age five. These early years are crucial for brain growth, making it imperative to create an environment that nurtures holistic development. At Naturally Learning, we understand and value this, and have created a culture that promotes a holistic approach to childcare. Integral to our ethos is the importance of nurturing each child as a whole.

We recognise that children’s wellbeing forms the basis of their early experiences, and we needed to encourage positive development of children’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual wellbeing. At the heart of our curriculum is the commitment to nurturing each child's body, mind, and soul. Our curriculum needed to be ambitious, ensuring all children, including those with additional needs, received the support and encouragement they need to thrive.

A curriculum rooted in childhood magic

For some time, we have embraced project-based, seasonal learning, allowing children to explore their interests through inquiry-based learning. Our curriculum needed to reflect this. Our projects evolve over time, delving deeper into areas of curiosity while recognising that all aspects of child development are interconnected.

Alongside this, our Naturally Learning ethos is embedded in outdoor environments. Children flourish when given the opportunity to explore the natural world. Our curriculum must incorporate outdoor classrooms, forest school principles, and wild spaces to encourage independent, resilient learners. Time spent in nature, whether in forests, parks, rivers, or beaches, offers abundant learning opportunities and fosters a lifelong appreciation for the environment.

The Cornish Curriculum was designed with the magic of childhood at its core. It fosters meaningful experiences, a deep connection with nature, and equips children with essential life skills.

Our indoor spaces needed to be considered too. We know that they should be calm, inviting, and rich with sensory opportunities. Thoughtfully designed environments spark awe and wonder, providing children with treasures to investigate and explore. We also prioritise peaceful spaces for rest and reflection, understanding the vital role of sleep and quiet time in a child’s development.

Inspirational educators and a supportive team

A strong, knowledgeable, and well-supported team is essential to delivering high-quality early childhood education. Investing in professional development nurtures emotionally responsive educators who consistently embed the curriculum and ethos into everyday practice.

Building meaningful partnerships with families

Strong relationships between educators and families are fundamental to a child's development. Our partnerships begin even before a child joins the nursery, fostering a shared understanding of their individual needs. By actively involving parents in the learning journey and openly communicating our educational goals, we create a collaborative and supportive environment that helps every child thrive.

Sustainability: A core ethos

Sustainability is woven throughout our curriculum. We believe that teaching children to respect and care for the planet from an early age fosters a deep-rooted connection to the natural world. By engaging in ecological activities like planting, growing, and harvesting, children develop sustainable habits that will last a lifetime.

The threads of learning

We have developed key threads of learning that align naturally with our ethos, ensuring a well-rounded, holistic approach to education. These threads are:

Wellbeing: We believe that wellbeing is essential for young children to lead healthy and happy lives. Secure caregiver-child relationships lay the foundation for emotional and cognitive development. Responsive, consistent care helps children regulate emotions and thrive. This has a positive impact on the child’s neurological, physiological and psychosocial development.

Communication: Language comprehension begins at birth, and fostering strong communication skills supports all areas of learning and development. Educators build children's language effectively, by reading frequently to them, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes, and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words. Through conversation, educators support and model language, using sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate and extend vocabulary.

Developmental Movement: Young children move continuously, not because they can't keep still but because they need to.  We need to understand what children’s bodies need and why. Movement is essential for children's neurological and physical development. Understanding sensory integration helps us support individual movement needs.

The Arts: Engaging with the arts nurture’s creativity, self-expression, and cultural awareness, enriching children's vocabulary and communication skills. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts.  

STEM: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are naturally integrated into children's play, fostering curiosity and problem-solving skills. Children have an instinctive need ask questions, explore their surroundings, and figure out how things work.  In an ever-evolving world STEM shapes vital lasting skills, such as critical thinking, language, communication, collaboration and problem-solving.

Sustainability: Teaching environmental responsibility from an early age instils lifelong respect for the planet and an understanding of climate change. Climate change is an important part of the Naturally Learning Ethos, as well as an international issue that requires a global and cross-generational approach to resolve.

Teaching and practising sustainability should start in the early years. Educating children on sustainability from the earliest age promotes awareness and creates lifelong habits.  We must allow children to play and wallow in nature and inspire their love for it. If they learn to love it, they will choose to protect it. Through teaching children about the flora and fauna of their world and by engaging them in the authentic ecological opportunity of planting, growing and harvesting, sustainability will become a natural part of children’s thinking.  

Cornish Connection: Children develop a sense of belonging by exploring their community, starting with their immediate surroundings and expanding to a broader understanding of the world. As children grow and develop, they begin to make sense of their physical world and their community. Their personal experiences from home form the foundations of their knowledge and sense of belonging to their family and immediate community.  

As they embark upon their nursery journey, their sense of belonging broadens as they form key relationships with educators and peers and become a part of the nursery community.  

Threads of implementation

Our pedagogy is woven through every interaction, experience, and environment we offer children. These five threads – Nurture, Belonging, Engagement, Exploration, and Aspiration – guide our intentions, inform our practice, and reflect our shared values.

Nurture

Responsive caregiving fosters secure attachments, confidence, and emotional literacy. Through consistent, caring relationships, children feel valued and safe.

Everyday moments: mealtimes, nappy changes, rest, and sleep are approached with intention and tenderness. These routines provide stability, rhythm, and opportunities for connection.

We prioritise children’s physical wellbeing by providing wholesome, nutritious meals that support brain development, immune strength, and overall growth.

Belonging

A strong sense of belonging underpins a child’s ability to learn and thrive. When children feel they truly belong, they develop the confidence to explore, form relationships, and express themselves freely.

Belonging is nurtured through warm, responsive interactions, consistent routines, and an inclusive environment that honours each child’s identity, culture, and family. It lays the foundation for emotional wellbeing, resilience, and a positive attitude towards learning, helping every child to thrive both now and in the future.

Engagement

We nurture curiosity through rich dialogue, co-exploration, and shared inquiry.

Through meaningful interactions, educators and children co-construct knowledge. We listen, wonder, and respond with thoughtful questions like: “What if...?”, “What do you think?”, “I wonder if...” These open-ended prompts ignite children’s imaginations, encourage problem-solving, and support collaborative thinking.

We reflect on children’s emotional wellbeing and deep engagement in learning. They guide our observations and help us to tailor experiences that truly matter to each child.

Exploration

We offer open-ended opportunities for discovery, allowing children to explore the world through hands-on, meaningful play.

Recognising and supporting schematic play patterns helps children make sense of the world and express their thinking. We provide materials and provocations that enable repeated actions and deep engagement.

We value the power of sensory-rich experiences to support self-regulation, language development, and cognitive growth. Water, sand, natural materials, light, and sound all play an integral role.

Outdoor learning fosters resilience, problem-solving, and a deep connection with nature. Through Forest and Beach School sessions, children develop physical skills, environmental awareness, and confidence in managing risk.

Experiences beyond the nursery expand children’s horizons, providing real-world connections to our curriculum and supporting cultural understanding and community awareness.

Aspiration

We hold high aspirations for every child, recognising their potential and supporting them as capable, curious, and unique individuals.

We embrace each child’s background, experiences, and interests, valuing what they bring into our setting. By building on this cultural capital, we foster a rich and inclusive learning environment where all children feel seen and celebrated.

Grounded in developmental knowledge and responsive teaching, our learning goals are designed to support holistic development and lifelong learning dispositions, creativity, resilience, curiosity, and collaboration.

To conclude, the Cornish Curriculum is more than an educational framework; it is a way of nurturing young minds to become confident, independent, and environmentally conscious individuals. By embracing nature, fostering strong relationships, and embedding meaningful learning experiences, we are preparing children for a lifetime of curiosity, resilience, and success.

Book your free ticket for Nursery Management Show on 27 June to hear more from Mandy in her session in the NMT Owners Club theatre.