(Founding) Professional Membership Now Available

Reduced introductory rate

Not all curriculum & pedagogy documents will be available immediately. Each resource page will clearly show availability dates. The remaining documents listed as components within Preschool Pathway strands will be made available by March 31st 2026 at no additional cost to Founding Members.

🎨 Preschool (3-4 Years)

Building depth, independence and purposeful learning through play.

Who this pathway is for:

This pathway is designed for practitioners working with preschool-aged children. It supports settings to develop a coherent, play-based curriculum with a strong balance of child-initiated learning and adult-led teaching.

What you’ll find here:

Preschool curriculum frameworks and progression maps
Continuous provision guidance across indoor and outdoor areas
Adult-led and adult-guided teaching resources
Observation, assessment and next-steps tools
SEND and inclusion embedded throughout

This pathway does not move practice towards formal schooling. It supports rich learning through play, interaction and purposeful teaching.

Start here:

🔗 How To Use The Preschool (3-4 Years) Pathway
🔗 Preschool Pedagogy Position Statement
🔗 Preschool Curriculum Overview & Rationale

Or Read about our wider EYFS birth-5 curriculum intent & pedagogy:
‘Little Owls Resources’ Curriculum Intent Statement’ &
‘EYFS from Birth to 5 | Curriculum Coherence & Pedagogical Throughline’

Professional Membership Contents (Preschool 3-4 Years)

Below you will find listed the component documents of our ‘Preschool Curriculum & Pedagogy Suite’. They are separated into Strands 1-9. You do not need to use everything all at once. You may wish to start with the documents suggested above for orientation.

Pedagogical identity:
Broad, play-based, theme-led curriculum with purposeful adult input and strong continuous provision.

👉 Pre-planning orientation.
- How To Use The Preschool (3-4 Years) Pathway [Free Orienting Sample]
- Preschool Pedagogy Position Statement [Free Orienting Sample]
- Preschool Curriculum Overview & Rationale [Free Orienting Sample]
- Curriculum Overview: How Themes Fit Together (6 Main + 8 Mini)
- What Child-Led Does Not Mean
- Adult-Led With Purpose in Preschool
👉 Big-picture curriculum intent and progression.
- Preschool Curriculum Map (By Term)
- Skills Progression Ladders (3–4 Years) - Including Practitioner Guidance
  ↪ Communication & Language
  ↪ Early Reading (Phase 1 Readiness)
  ↪ Early Writing
  ↪ Early Maths - Subitising, Counting & Comparing
  ↪ Early Maths - Pattern, Shape & Spatial Awareness
  ↪ PSED - Self-Regulation & Relationships
  ↪ Fine Motor & Hand Control
- Strength-Based Progress Overview
- Our Preschool Curriculum Intent, Implementation & Impact - OFSTED Conversation Statement
👉 Theme-led planning lives here.
Core Preschool Themes (6 Weeks Each)
Optional Mini-Themes (1–2 Weeks)
👉 The engine room of daily practice.
- Universal Continuous Provision Packs (Preschool | 3–4 Years)
  - Construction Area
  - Small World Area
  - Role-Play Area
  - Writing / Mark-Making Area
  - Maths Area
  - Creative Area (Art & Making)
  - Investigation / STEM / Discovery Area
  - Book Corner / Reading Den
  - Fine Motor Station
  - Water Area
  - Sand Area
  - Snack Area / Independence Station
  - Outdoor Provision Core Zones
    Physical play
    Gross motor skills
    Nature area
    Outdoor mark-making
    Outdoor maths
- Preschool Environment & Provision Map Audit Pack
- How Continuous Provision Works in Our Preschool Curriculum
- Continuous Provision Audit Checklist
- Continuous Provision FAQs (For Preschool Practitioners)
👉 Purposeful adult input without formalisation.
Early Reading & Phonics
- Phonics & Early Reading Pack
- Phase 1, Vocabulary & Early Comprehension, Curriculum System (24 Sessions)
  - 8 themed sets covering all aspects of Phase 1
  - 24 mini session plans
  - Vocabulary & story-building scaffolds
  - Outdoor phonological play ideas
  - SEND & EAL accessible sessions
  - Theme-linked sessions (Transport, Animals, Growth)
  - Assessment & observation prompts
  - Continuous Provision follow-up suggestions
- Adult-Led Session Templates
- Practitioner FAQs
Maths
- Maths Small Group Session Bank (24 Sessions)
  - Strand A - Subitising (Sessions 1-4)
  - Strand B - Counting Principles (Sessions 5-8)
  - Strand C - Comparing Quantites (Sessions 9-12)
  - Strand D - Composition of Number (Sessions 13-16)
  - Strand E - Spatial & Shape (Sessions 17-20)
  - Strand F - Measures & Pattern (Sessions 21-24)
- How To Use Our Maths Session Bank & Strand Overview (A–F)
- Adult-Led Session Templates
- Practitioner FAQs
Writing & Fine Motor
- Fine Motor & Mark Making Mini Sessions (18)
  - How To Use Our Fine Motor & Mark Making Mini Sessions Bank
  - Strand A - Core & Shoulder Stability (Sessions 1-3)
  - Strand B - Wrist Rotation & Fluidity (Sessions 4-6)
  - Strand C - Pincer, Pinch & Tool Control (Sessions 7-10)
  - Strand D - Early Pattern Making: Pre-Writing Shapes (Sessions 11-18)
- Early Writing Purpose Mini Sessions (6)
  - How To Use Our Early Writing Purpose Mini Sessions Bank
  - Lists
  - Labels
  - Messages
  - Maps
  - Signs
  - Tickets & Recipes
- How These Two Session Banks Are Designed To Work Together
👉 High-impact interaction guidance.
👉 Practical planning support.
- Weekly Planning Templates (2 Versions)
- How to Use the Preschool Weekly Planning Templates: Guide
- Adult-Led Session Planning Templates Pack
  - Universal
  - Phonics / Early Language Focus (Listening → Rhyme → Sound Awareness)
  - Maths Focus (Number + Pattern + Shape + Measure)
  - Story & Book Talk Focus (Comprehension → Retell → Vocabulary → Prediction)
  - PSED / Self-Regulation Small Group
👉 Proportionate, non-statutory assessment.
- Observe–Assess–Plan (OAP) Toolkit - Preschool
- Assessment Dashboard Pack (3 Versions)
  - Prime Areas Only Dashboard (Communication & Language, PSED, Physical)
  - Full EYFS Areas Dashboard (Prime + Specific)
  - Dashboard with Wellbeing & Involvement Scale (Leuven-inspired 1–5 ratings)
- Progress Review (3–4 Years)
  - Short & Long Versions
  - Guidance - How To Complete And Share With Families
- Preschool Report Pack
  - End of Term Template
  - End of Year Template
  - Guidance - How To Write Strength-Based Reports
  - Sentence Starters Bank
👉 Parent Engagement plus Emotional, environmental and communicative transition.
- Preschool Transition to Reception Pack
  ↪ Child Passport
  ↪ Practitioner-To-Practitioner Handover Summary
  ↪ SEND Transition Sheet
  ↪ Family Transition Summary Sheet
  ↪ Parent Leaflet — “Preparing For Reception”
  ↪ Child Voice Page
  ↪ Guidance Page— “How To Complete & Share Transition Information”
- Home & Setting Communication
  ↪ Our Preschool Curriculum (Age 3–4) | Parent-Facing Document
  (Additional parent literature within planning documents.)

Additional Whole-Setting Guidance | for Professional Members

Explore our whole-setting birth-5 guidance below, including overarching curriculum and pedagogy documents, early years schemas and EYFS setting policies.

- Little Owls Resources’ Curriculum Intent Statement [Free Orienting Sample]
- EYFS from Birth to 5: Curriculum Coherence & Pedagogical Throughline [Free Orienting Sample]
- Whole-Setting Curriculum Map (Birth-5): Curriculum Intent & Progression
- Pedagogy Guidance Document
- Speech & Language Development - Setting Statement
- EYFS Inspection-Facing Summaries
Early Years Schemas - Practitioner Toolkit | EYFS Birth-5
↪ Schema Cards (definition, behaviours, age-related examples, enabling resources)
↪ Schema Observation & Responsive Provision Planning Template
- EYFS Group Setting Policies Pack
  ↪ x 22 Policy Documents
  ↪ Policy Sign-Off and Confirmation Document
  ↪ EYFS Setting Policy Folder Contents List
- Childminder Setting Policies Pack
  ↪ x 22 Policy Documents
  ↪ Childminder Assistant or Volunteer Policy Sign-Off and Confirmation Document
  ↪ Childminder Policy Folder Contents List
EYFS Glossary
↪ Clear, practitioner-friendly explanations of key curriculum and pedagogy terms used throughout our guidance.

Looking for a different age group pathway?

Select the pathway that best reflects your role or the age group you work with. You do not need to use everything. (Some practitioners may use more than one pathway.)

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