PERSONAL, SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Children attending our pre-school are supported in developing confidence and self-respect. They are encouraged to work independently and also to take part in the life of the group, sharing and co-operating with other children and adults. Through activities, conversation and practical examples, they learn acceptable ways to express their own feelings and to have respect for the feelings of others.

All children are given the opportunity, as appropriate, to take responsibility for themselves and each child has a turn to be our Helper of the Morning. This is very important for the children and a rota is put up in the cloakroom area. Each child has an individual coat peg, a drawer for their work, and a name card. Children are encouraged to post their name card on arrival each session.

COMMUNICATION & LANGUAGE

In both small and large groups the children are encouraged to extend their vocabulary and fluency by talking and listening. We have singing time at the end of every session where children are encouraged to sing as part of a group, individually or with a friend. Our language table is set up every day with different activities to promote role play with small world characters and animals etc which enhances language development and storytelling. Children are encouraged to talk about their creations/drawings and to explain what it is they are trying to do.

LITERACY

We have well-stocked book shelves which contain a wide variety of books and poems. These books are regularly sent home with the children in their reading bags. The children can choose a book and change these as regularly as they require. The children are helped to understand that written symbols carry meaning, to be aware of the purpose of writing, and when they are ready, to use drawn and written symbols for themselves. Note pads, clipboards and pens are readily available for children to use both inside and out. Painting at the easel is provided everyday with brushes, water and chalks for outside mark making. We also have two whiteboards, one positioned low down in the book area in our main room and another large whiteboard attached to our fence for outside use.

MATHEMATICS

By means of adult-supported practical experience, children become familiar with sorting, matching, sequencing and counting, which forms the basis for early mathematics. As they use their developing mathematical understanding to solve practical problems, children are assisted to learn and use the vocabulary of mathematics identifying objects by shape, position, size, volume and number. Songs, games and picture books help children become aware of number sequences and a variety of toys and equipment can be used for adding and subtracting games.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

A range of equipment and opportunities, both indoors and outdoors, allows the children to develop confidence and enjoyment in the use and development of their own bodily skills. A very high level of adult supervision enables children safely to create and meet physical challenges, developing increasing skill and control in moving, climbing and balancing. At the same time, through a variety of different experiences, children are supported in the development of the fine motor skills required to use tools, including pens, pencils and to handle objects with increasing control and precision. Children are encouraged to bring a piece of fruit in once a week to share with others as we talk about staying fit and eating healthily.

EXPRESSIVE ARTS & DESIGN

The children are encouraged to use a wide range of resources in order to express their own ideas and feelings. We have a home corner where the children can dress up and engage in pretend cooking and role play. We offer art and craft activities as well as natural resources for model making and art work. We always welcome any contribution of cereal boxes and any interesting items that can be used for our junk modelling activities. Cooking and woodwork are part of our curriculum and the children often make biscuits and cakes, either to share at snack time or to take home. Children have the opportunity to use our wide range of musical instruments both inside and out, enabling them to experiment with sounds and noises!

UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD

During the term we cover different topics revolving around the seasons or events in the year. Parents are informed of our learning topics in the weekly newsletter and we welcome additional toys and books from home which relate to our topics. We encourage children to explore and experiment with a range of natural and manufactured materials. We help children to observe features of objects and materials and to recognise differences, patterns and to share their findings with us. The children are assisted in exploring their environment and a range of safe and well-maintained equipment enables the children to extend their technological understanding.