A Typical Morning Session
The Early Years
Foundation Stage
This is a curriculum which starts from the child's earliest days at pre school and finishes when they leave Reception. Click for information on what the EYFS means to you and your child
9:00 The morning beginsWe find our names and hang our coats up on the pegs, then show our adult what we’re going to get up to. We all sit down together so we can see who’s here and say hello to each other, using Makaton sign language so everyone can join in. Then we split into three age-related groups so we can think about the fun that’s ahead. As we're doing this, the oven is on, baking home-made bread. Every day at snack time we eat our own bread, baked by us on the premises.
9:30 Free play
This includes playdough, dressing up, painting, craft-making, cooking, puzzles, water fun and lots more.We have our own small library so that the Rocks can change their books every week. We can go inside or out, whatever the weather and this particularly benefits those "active learners" who find physical activity the best way of learning new skills. The garden is an Outside Classroom, set up every day to promote learning in inventive ways for instance spiders' webs made out of cotton to promote hand-eye co-ordination.
Snack Bar Our Snack Bar is open throughout the morning. To make Pre School feel more like home, the children can visit the cosy and comfortable Snack Bar area and choose from the overflowing fruit bowl, pour their own drink of milk or water, pick a piece of warm, home-made bread and spread it with a selection of healthy options and chat to the staff member who is always there. The children "sign in" by finding their own name, thus ensuring nobody eats too much.
11.15 We divide into our age related groups (Rocks and Pebbles). Rocks sing rhyming
games and songs, discuss what they have learnt today, choose songs to
sing, play instruments and play rhythm games. We adapt songs to extend
learning, for instance, Old MacDonald had a h. What animal could that
be?" Pebbles have lots of fun with old favourites and Nursery Rhymes.Each group singssuited to the current interests of the children
11:40 Outside / Free physical play We all go outside for a free run around. Rocks can go into the “Shiny Playground” next to the Hall, allowing the Pebbles to play without the Big Children getting in the way. We include parachute games, ball skills, racquet skills, keep-fit etc. The Rocks go to PE at Stonegate Primary School once a week in the warmer months.
12 noon Story time, a chance for us to enjoy our favorite books together. We also ask children particular activities they have enjoyed that day.
12:15 Home time and start of lunch club
