Preschool

A Preschool, not a Nursery!

Preschool is often a child’s first venture alone into the wide world, outside home and family, and children must have positive experiences in these early days in order to develop the solid foundations on which they can build in the coming years. Our aim at Kingsfold Preschool is to support every child to grow into an independent, happy and confident individual who is resilient, inquisitive and accepts challenge!  We are currently able to offer 15 places for 3-4 year olds!

Our large Early Years Unit is situated within the main school and houses all the learning and activities that your child will need to explore each day. The Preschool has strong links with the Reception Class, which is in the same large unit, and this enables resources and expertise to be shared. The Preschool children also spend time getting to know all the staff and playing and learning alongside their older peers which ensures a smooth and happy transition into the Reception class. Our children also wear the school jumper and have access to the whole school’s facilities and equipment such as the hall for a weekly PE lessons and the extensive outdoor areas. 

As a Preschool, our main aim is to prepare your children for the next stage in their school life - Reception class. We only take children aged 3 and 4 and this enables us to really focus on the appropriate developmental stages of teaching and learning. Our core teaching is always the prime areas of the EYFS, as these are the foundations of all learning, and we promote building relationships, personal independence, good motor skills and strong communication through exposure to a wide range of supported activities. In addition to this, we teach phonics and maths, plus provide opportunities for building early writing and language skills as part of a timetabled school day.

Morning

The doors of our Foundation Unit open from 8.45am where our staff will be there to greet you and your child at the door.  There is also childcare available before school, from 7:45am, please enquire at the school office for more information.

At 9.00am the children welcome each other with a song, daily check-ins (feelings), discuss the weather and who is here today and then begin their group time session.  After the group time, Ms Croskell will spend time within continuous provision building up the children’s understanding and skills through observation of their interests, providing objects of provocation or support to their play and questioning in order to move their individual learning on. We introduce new concepts and use mathematical and topical language throughout these sessions and learn stories and rhymes off by heart in order to develop vocabulary as well story structure. We operate a free-flow environment where the children are able to choose the areas they would like to explore, including outside. The children also enjoy snack and key worker time.

End of the session

At 12:00 noon, the staff will be waiting to greet you at the door with a tired child, full of new experiences!

Is your child ready to start school at 3?

Does your child need a challenge? Are they ready to learn? Contact us on 01772 743531 to register for a place or for more details. Forms can also be collected from school to apply for a place for a child who is not yet.

Future Plans

Currently, we are only able to provide 15 hours per week due to staffing and ratios.  However, as the unit hopefully grows, we are hoping to be able to expand the provision to include 30 hours.