Learning and teaching at Madeley Nursery School is based on deeply held principles. These are explored, questioned, tested and our understanding developed on an ongoing basis.
Our Key principles are:
A place of citizenship – being part of a strong community
Our school is an integral part of the community. It is a place where every child, family and educator has both a right and responsibility to contribute to and support their community.
The researching school
Working together to question and improve Our school is a place where children, families and educators work together to improve the quality of learning and teaching experiences, therefore promoting high aspirations, levels of well-being, and achievement for all.
A belief in the competent child
Every child has an innate ability to learn from birth, We believe that every child has an incredible capacity to learn and develop through engagement with others and with the world.
Partnership between children, families and school – learning in partnership
We consider that a genuine, respectful and active partnership between children, their families and the school are central to successful learning.
Through these principles we promote the following values for all members of the nursery community.
- Prosocial behaviours of sharing (dividing up or bestowing), helping (acts of kindness, rescuing, removing distress), and cooperation (working together to reach a goal) showing sympathy, showing positive verbal and physical contact, showing concern, taking the perspective of another person, cooperating and social problem-solving that enable children to be in dynamic interactions with other children and adults.
- Self-regulation which is the ability to monitor and control our own behaviour, emotions, or thoughts, altering them in accordance with the demands of the situation.
- Collaboration that is crucial to successful, independent learning. Through effective collaboration we begin to understand the importance of being reflective, of cooperation, of taking turns, of respecting difference and diversity, of friendship, of being fair, of sensitive listening, active discussion, and of unity.
- Resilience and perseverance to be determined to succeed, setting a goal, and sticking to it. We aim to foster a willingness to take risks and an acceptance of failure. We take positives from all that we do and learn from our mistakes. We are responsible for our own learning and develop high self-esteem.
- Equality incorporates aspects of tolerance, inclusion, and diversity. We expect children and adults to have an awareness of the wider world, to celebrate difference and respect the rights of all individuals, both in the school community and beyond.
- Compassion is about kindness and concern, about friendship and love, about communicating effectively and understanding the needs of others. Through our focus on this value, we expect to develop thoughtful, considerate children who are empathetic, respectful, and kind.
- Creativity and innovation is the value through which we hope to inspire children to appreciate their uniqueness, to be imaginative and inquisitive. We aim to nurture originality and dynamism in meaning-making.
- Critical thinking using purposeful judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference including qualities, concepts, and processes such as creativity, imagination, discovery, reflection, empathy, connecting knowing, subjectivity, ambiguity, and inconclusiveness.
- Confidence to explore as active learners and to be adventurous, curious, and confident to take risks when experiencing new things.
- Ecological awareness and sensitivity by exploring the world to develop curiosity and respect for nature and a love for the outdoors.
- Effective communication that enables children to express themselves, listen and respond to the ideas and proposals of others. Independence and self-organisation to be able to work with other children, not always seeking or needing the affirmation or direction of adults.





