OUR MISSION:

To give every child the very best start in their learning journey .

OUR VALUES?

High quality CARE, EDUCATION, SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING and PLAY

These pre-school values are at the core of all that we do for the children as they underpin all teaching and learning. They guide staff to provide an environment that enables the children to be successful.

The four main values in more detail.

CARE:

Our early years provision pays much attention to the children’s care and safety. Staff provide high quality childcare and education in a safe, caring and stimulating environment, full of laughter, learning and fun. This enables the children to feel secure and valued whilst undertaking their learning. Each day is about their overall well-being.  

 EDUCATION:

After extensive research it is now recognised that a strong foundation in the early years is crucial for a child’s success throughout their life-long learning journey. Staff follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum to introduce new knowledge and skills. This is a statutory curriculum that sets the standards for the learning and development of children in their pre-school life to make them ready to learn when they start statutory education.

Our learning objectives have a strong focus on communication. The interactions that take place between staff and the children are seen as fundamental to developing their knowledge and skills in the prime areas of: -

Communication and language

Physical development

Personal, Social and Emotional development.

Staff believe that learning should be fun so provide a fully inclusive programme that incorporates imaginative activities. They ‘scaffold’ the children’s learning by giving them just enough help to achieve something they could not do independently. They also help the children to think and to talk about what might happen next.

THE EYFS curriculum also covers details about HOW children learn, and what they need to learn. It ensures that staff place language at the heart of a broad curriculum as it is the basis for children’s thinking. This is where the magic happens.

 SOCIAL and EMOTIONAL SKILLS:

We see the inclusion of social and emotional skills in our curriculum as crucial for the children’s overall development and future success. These skills -  including self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, the ability to empathise, an understanding of relationships and decision-making  -  lay the foundation for positive interactions and emotional well-being. Staff teach these skills as they understand that children who can emotionally regulate and work well with others are more likely to engage in learning activities, persist through challenges and perform better academically.

The early introduction of these skills promotes healthy social behaviours and can help to prevent future mental health difficulties.

 PLAY:

Not only does play help children to develop socially and emotionally, but it also gives them a chance to develop physically.

Play, both indoors and outdoors, makes a powerful contribution to the children’s well-being, development and learning. It includes communication and expression, combining thought and action. Play is essentially a ‘child’s work’ and helps develop cognition while also being lots of fun. In play the children can become deeply involved as they take things they already know and combine them in new ways so that their understanding deepens. This helps to build confidence as children relate to each other, set their own goals and work together to solve problems.

Through play, children can also interact with the world around them and this helps to create meaning about their place in the world. During play children develop independence and self-confidence as it gives them an opportunity to  interact – verbally and non-verbally – with their peers. Most play is instinctive, voluntary and spontaneous, so any structured play activities are carefully planned to ignite curiosity and encourage creativity. This enhances the necessary social and language skills needed throughout life.

Play also inspires the children towards physical movement and exercise that allows for development of both fine and gross motor skills. All children have daily access to our outdoor area as we fully recognise the positive impact that being outdoors has on a child’s social, emotional and physical development. Also, budding explorers can enjoy the welly walks in the nearby woods.

Pre-School - Learning Journals

All children have a ‘Key Person’ who works closely with the child & parents/carers. This ‘Key’ person will observe, take photos, video/audio clips to record progress and show parents their child’s individual ongoing development. The Pre-School offer structured times for learning journal discussions, including annual parents evenings but you can also choose a time that suits you.

Parents

We also encourage parents to tell us about significant events that happen at home so they can be added to the learning journals too.

FINALLY:

We believe that the combination of the above values enable children to develop the main characteristics of effective early years learning as Play, Education and Care are intertwined and impact equally on the children’s development.

Staff will guide and nurture your child through the earliest stages of their development and make sure they have the best opportunity to learn, grow and thrive, not only for school – but for life!