At Shotley Bridge Nursery School Ltd, we are passionate about ensuring every child leaves us with the strongest possible foundation of skills to support their future learning and wellbeing. Through continuous reflection and professional development, we strive to remain at the forefront of early years practice, adapting our approaches in line with research, our values, and the evolving needs of today’s children.
One area that has become a significant focus for our setting is Number Sense.
Since beginning our Number Sense journey in 2023, with the support of Debby Shaw and the Early Years Development Team at Durham County Council, our team has been developing a deeper understanding of how children learn about number and how early experiences can shape their lifelong relationship with mathematics.
Research has shown that some children begin to develop apprehension towards mathematics from a very young age. As early years professionals, we know that children’s earliest experiences lay the foundations for future attitudes, confidence, and success. If children experience pressure, confusion, or a lack of understanding in their early mathematical experiences, this can influence how they perceive mathematics for years to come.
Traditionally, mathematical success in the early years has often been associated with a child’s ability to count aloud or recognise numerals. However, much like language development, recognising a symbol or repeating a sequence does not necessarily mean a child understands its meaning. Just as a child learns that the word “dog” represents a real animal through repeated experiences and interactions, children need meaningful experiences to understand what numbers truly represent.
This understanding sits at the heart of Number Sense.
Rather than focusing solely on counting sequences, Number Sense encourages children to develop a deep understanding of quantity, relationships, patterns, and mathematical thinking. Through this approach, children first build confidence and understanding with smaller numbers before progressing to larger concepts.
One of the key areas of focus is subitising, this is the ability to recognise quantities without counting. This is a natural skill that children are born with, and by nurturing it through carefully planned experiences, we help children develop a stronger understanding of number and quantity.
Our approach begins long before children are expected to count. From our youngest learners onwards, mathematical concepts are embedded naturally throughout the day. Simple experiences such as posting objects into containers, filling and emptying baskets, comparing sizes, noticing patterns, and exploring quantities all contribute to children’s growing mathematical understanding.
As a team, we have embraced this journey through training, reflection, discussion, and ongoing professional curiosity. Recent training sessions have helped to refresh and reignite our thinking, reinforcing our shared belief that mathematics should be meaningful, engaging, and accessible for every child. For some practitioners, this training has refined and strengthened existing knowledge; for others, it has marked the beginning of an exciting new professional journey.
Most importantly, the impact is visible in the children. We see learners who are curious, confident, willing to explore, and developing genuine understanding rather than simply recalling information. By slowing down and focusing on depth before breadth, we are helping children build secure foundations that will support future mathematical learning.
As we continue this journey, we are excited to extend these conversations beyond our nursery walls. We recognise that children benefit most when families and educators work together, and we look forward to sharing our Number Sense approach with parents, carers and the wider community through future events and opportunities to learn alongside us.
We are incredibly grateful to Debby Shaw and Durham County Council’s Early Years Development Team for their continued support and expertise. Their guidance has empowered us to challenge traditional thinking, reflect on our practice, and ultimately provide the very best opportunities for the children in our care.
