A Unique Child

Positive Relationships

Enabling Environments

Learning and Development

Child Development

We understand that each child is a unique individual, maturing and developing at different rates and at different times. At pre-school, we value and place equal importance on each area of their development - cognitive, physical, social, linguistic, spiritual and emotional.

Respecting Each Other

At pre-school, our philosophy is to value each child for who they are, to celebrate their differences and to ensure that everyone is appreciated, whatever their capabilities, personality, ethnic background or culture.

Observation, Assessment and Planning

Our planning consists of long, medium and  short term plans, identifying how we will implement the new EYFS Principles into practice. At the core of our planning process is our focus on the child, observations of what they can do 'today' which influence the planning we do for 'tomorrow'.

Play and Exploration

At pre-school, we plan and resource our environment where children's play can be supported and extended. As practitioners, developing children's language, communication and social skills can be achieved through careful and sensitive contribution during their play.

Inclusive Practice

All children and their families are treated with equal respect, ensuring that everyone feels valued, welcome and included in our pre-school.

Parents as Partners

We see that creating a positive relationship with our children's families is a huge factor in their approach to learning and their development. We are totally committed to making our setting as welcoming and accessible as possible to enable good working relationships with parents.

Supporting Every Child

Whilst planning activities and experiences for groups of our children, we need to recognise that each child's learning journey is an individual one, based on their personal interests and experiences and so our plans need to be flexible enough to provide for alternative learning opportunities when required.

Active Learning

We recognise that to optimise children's learning we must provide activities and opportunities for learning that are interesting and that children will find motivating and engaging. Tailoring expectations to suit each child so that their needs are met and a sense of achievement experienced, promotes a positive attitude to further learning.

Keeping Safe

Feeling safe, cared for and valued is critical to a child's development and our consistent approach to explaining boundaries, rules and limitations promotes this feeling of staying safe but not over-protected.

Supporting Learning

Our skilled team of practitioners share a clear vision of effective teaching: where we really know our children, can identify when their learning is ready to be extended and can offer support specific to an individual.

The Learning Environment

Our indoor environment provides a safe, secure but interesting and challenging space for our children and we have also worked hard to overcome the difficulties presented by access to an outdoor environment  through partnerships with local groups and shared facilities.

Creativity and Critical Thinking

We will be giving children lots of opportunities to play and experiment in different situations and with a range of tools, props and other resources. We will also be consulting parents about how their children play at home and strive towards an appropriate balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities.

Health and Well-being

We will provide opportunities for our children to play, explore and learn, recognising their fundamental need to be physically active, to be cared for and to be nurtured according to the individual child's needs.

Key Person

Our belief is that when a child feel safe, happy and secure through the special bond developed between a child and their key person, the confidence and reassurance this relationship brings is essential to their experience and development in the setting.

The Wider Context

We work hard to affect positive working relationships with other professionals for the benefit of the children in our setting, for example: close liaison with Primary School staff ensures smooth transition; sharing best practice at our local Cluster Group meetings with other providers: visits from librarians and contact with specialist support professionals for children with special needs requirements to name a few.

Areas of Learning and Development

As practitioners, we understand that each of the six areas of learning are equally important, and that for children especially, these areas are closely linked to one another and not independent of each other.