Learning
The pre-school's timetable and routines
Our pre-school believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the day in our pre-school are provided in ways that:
help each child to feel that she/he is a valued member of our pre-school;
ensure the safety of each child;
help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group; and
provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning.
Children's development and learning
We aim to ensure that each child:
is in a safe and stimulating environment;
is given generous care and attention, because of our ratio of qualified staff to children, as well as volunteer helpers;
has the chance to join in with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together;
is helped to take forward her/his learning and development by being helped to build on what she/he already knows and can do;
has a personal key person who makes sure each child makes satisfying progress;
is in a pre-school that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop; and
is in a pre-school in which parents help to shape the service it offers.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
The Areas of Development and Learning comprise:
Prime Areas
Personal, social and emotional development
Physical development
Communication and language
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Specific Areas
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the world
Expressive arts and design
Our pre-school has regard to these when we assess children and plan for their learning. Our programme supports children to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for:
Personal, social and emotional development
making relationships;
self-confidence and self-awareness; and
managing feelings and behaviour.
Physical development
moving and handling; and
health and self-care
Communication and language
listening and attention;
understanding; and
speaking.
Literacy
reading; and
writing.
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Mathematics
numbers; and
shape, space and measure.
Understanding the world
people and communities;
the world; and
technology.
Expressive arts and design
exploring and using media and materials; and
being imaginative.
Every Child a Talker (ECAT)
The Every Child a Talker (ECAT) program has been designed to help create a developmentally appropriate, supportive and stimulating environment in which children can enjoy experimenting with and learning language. It can be implemented whether your child is at our setting or at home through everyday, fun and interesting activities which reflect your child’s own interests.
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ECAT will encourage early language development right from the outset, extending children’s vocabulary and helping them build sentences so that before they start school, children are confident and skilled communicators.
