Everyone waits outside the Pre-school until it’s time for the session to start.
Each child has their own named peg for their coats. They also have a ‘flower’ with their name on which they ‘plant’ in a numbered pot in the playroom as a means of self-registration
A typical morning session is generally given over to free play which gives staff the opportunity to observe and support development as it happens. This takes place inside and out and includes a ‘rolling’ snack time, which we start around 9.45am. At some point during the morning, most typically at about 11.30, the children are asked to ‘stop’ what they are doing so that we can have a short period of adult led activities. At this time we call the register and then introduce the children to the ‘sign’ and ‘word’ of the week. This group time is also used to practice number skills, sing songs and have stories.
The afternoon session starts with lunch. At about 12.30 we sit down together to eat. The children are encouraged to sit at the table until they have finished. After a reasonable amount of time we put a timer on and when the timer runs out they can ask to get down from the table.
Although there is a planned structure and adult led learning opportunities within our sessions they are always flexible, taking into account the individual needs and interests of the children. Wherever possible the children lead and we follow consolidating and extending their learning as they experiment and explore.