Pre-School (4-5 YEARS OLD)

In the Pre-School, the emphasis is very much on learning-by-doing through experience and play. In this way, we are able to promote and develop a love of learning that enables our children to enjoy school and to build an understanding of it as a safe, secure place where mistakes can be made and their many successes celebrated. This helps them form strong relationships with not only their peers and teachers but with the students in both primary and secondary. This lays the foundations to prepare them for the transition to our primary school.

Our highly experienced teachers are supported by Teaching Assistants to enable learning differentiation and to focus on the needs of the individual student. This allows our students to progress at their own pace and to work on any areas that need specific attention.

The Pre-School class is housed in a separate building within our main school grounds and the children join the other classes for lunch and playtimes. We take full advantage of our beautiful grounds with many activities taking place outside.

Throughout the school, we place an emphasis on hands-on activities, experiential investigation and learning, so pre-school children often go on organised excursions to explore the local environment and culture.

Learning Intentions

INTERDISCIPLINARY THEMED UNITS

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Communication and Language
Literacy
Mathematics
Expressive Arts and Design
Physical Development
Understanding the World

These Learning Intentions are based on the UK’s Early Years framework and we consider all the above when planning and implementing lessons for our youngest learners.

All these intentions are met by incorporating thoughtful, guided elements to the play and exploration of our pre-schoolers.

INTERDISCIPLINARY THEMED UNITS

Who We Are
Where We Are In Place And Time
How We Express Ourselves
How The World Works
How We Organise Ourselves
Sharing The Planet

As part of these themes, children study units tailored to the specific needs of any given cohort and the context through which these concepts are investigated depends on the interests of the children. In this way, children become active collaborators in their learning journeys, enabling them to access their personal educational gateways. They explore these ideas through hands-on activities, play and self-directed exploration.

Pre-school is a time and place not only to learn but to laugh and have fun!