The Early Years, Nursery and Reception Classes
Our Nursery and Reception classes provide a caring yet stimulating start to a child’s journey through school. Children can join the Nursery at any point during the term in which they will be three years old. Some parents choose to go straight to a full-time basis while others choose to start with just one or two mornings a week. Children who reach four years of age by 31st August can join our Reception Class.
An Early Years specialist teacher oversees the Nursery and Reception classes, supported by a well-qualified team of teachers and nursery practitioners. Our outstanding facilities enable us to offer an excellent and appropriate introduction to school life in an idyllic environment. Planned teaching through play and exploration is based on ‘development points' mapped out towards the Early Learning Goals across the six areas of learning laid down in the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. Our children move forward in Personal, Social and Emotional Development, developing their life skills in a secure, happy environment, whilst extending their skills in Communication, Language and Literacy with stories, songs, rhymes reading and writing. Their development in Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy arises out of daily experiences in our rich and interesting environment. Children are helped to grow in Knowledge and Understanding of the World using our natural outdoor environment to explore and investigate creatures, plants and objects in real life situations.
Our broad selection of materials, together with the use of our sports hall, music room and extensive grounds, allow children to be active and improve their skills in the Physical and Creative area of the curriculum.
The Foundation Stage leads to the National Curriculum on which the School bases its learning strategies and teaching. However our independent status allows us the flexibility to broaden out our children’s opportunities. This structure provides a solid base for their introduction to the greater challenges of the Infant Department.
'Partnership with parents and carers is very good.'
'Children are making excellent progress towards the early learning goals.'
'The quality of teaching is outstanding'
'Very good use is made of the many available resources.
'Staff know their children well and provide outstanding support for their learning and development'
'Outstanding provision is made for the welfare of the children'
