Our Curriculum 

 

What do the children do in Pre-school?

We take great care in choosing the activities available for your children as we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum working towards the Early Learning Goals in the 3 prime areas:

· Personal, Social and Emotional Development
· Physical Development
· Communication and Language

These lead into developing skills in 4 specific areas:

· Literacy
· Mathematics
· Understanding the World
· Expressive Arts and Design
 
The children will be encouraged to explore and learn about the world beyond home, to find new interests and friends and to have fun.  Children will have the opportunity to choose from many activities, and aprons are provided for the more messy activities. 

Music

Children develop a love of music through songs, actions and rhymes which all help to develop language, memory and early maths skills. They will learn to listen carefully to sounds to make  simple rhythms and will be encouraged to express themselves through movement and dance, also using musical instruments.
 

Painting, Drawing and Craft

Children are encouraged to paint freely and choose their own colours. To begin with they may simply wish to cover the paper with colour, then they may begin to paint circles, faces, people or houses.  They should not be urged to reach this stage too quickly. Pencils, small pads and clipboards will encourage them to make shopping lists and menus in pretend play. Children can select their own materials and use their creative ability through craft and will learn how to use scissors and craft tools safely.

Role play

We have a cosy home corner with child size furniture and dressing up clothes. The children pretend things like shopping, mealtimes and baby care.  Domestic role play is very important for young children and helps their imagination to develop.  We will also have other exciting role play areas linked to our themes, such as a Garden Centre, Opticians and Doctor’s surgery. These help the children to make sense of the world around them.

Physical Activities

The children will have access to physical play inside and out, giving them opportunity to develop strong joints that will help them with handwriting skills later on. We will be encouraging them to develop their gross motor skills with big movements including climbing and crawling.  Riding bikes, playing on a trampoline and balancing equipment also develops co-ordination and balancing skills.  Sustained physical exercise is so important for children’s health and development.
 

Sand and Water

Children find water fascinating.  Play can be experimental - studying what the water does when it is poured, splashed or dripped.  Water is soothing to the excited or tired child; it releases the timid or restricted child and is a safe outlet for feelings.  Both sand and water help children to learn about volume and texture. Aprons are provided and children love helping to clear up  when they make a mess!

Books

Children will be encouraged to develop a love of reading through stories being read to them, story boxes, handling and looking at books from different genres e.g. non-fiction, fiction and poetry. This will help them develop language and pre-reading skills as well as their imagination. Children have book bags to take books to share with you at home  and early reading /phonic books when they are ready. 
         

Other Activities

Your child will have a chance to experiment with dough, glue, paper, printing, finger painting, construction toys, threading, puzzles, board games and many other activities, encouraging them to use their own ideas and solve problems.  There will also be Interest Shelves and Nature Tables to help to encourage the children to look at the world around us. 
They will take part in lots of pre-writing activities and have opportunities to count and explore maths in practical ways.  The older children (Butterfly group) will be learning about phonics and starting to form letters as well as many other extended activities. All children will gain in skill and understanding through their play, especially when they have a chance to share their enjoyment with an adult. 
 

Extra Events

Throughout the year, a number of extra events may take place such as: Autumn Walk, Nativity Play, Library Visits, Curriculum Workshops, Fathers’ Day Morning and Sports day.  We will give you all the details you need as they arise.