Our Curriculum

'Children enjoy having stories read to them and have access to a range of fiction and non-fiction books to develop their communication and language skills.'  

'Children count freely, for example, as they sing number songs and rhymes to 10 and count how many children are on the mat.  The range of experiences provided for children help them develop skills for their future learning'

'Children have opportunities to develop good physical skills as they play outside in the enclosed area, go for walks around the vilage and play on the large equipment in the play area.  Here they have great fun running freely, climbing and jumping'

(OFSTED, Oct 2011)

Speen Pre-School aims to concentrate on the six Early Years Foundation Stage areas in the following ways:

1. Personal, social and emotional development

Play is a vital part of the learning process for the children. They are encouraged to establish effective relationships with other children and adults, to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of others and show respect to other cultures and beliefs.

2. Communication, language and literacy

The children work in different sized groups to encourage their listening skills with stories, rhymes and songs. They are encouraged to talk about their experiences to increase their growing vocabulary. Imaginative play, dressing up, dolls, garages, and farms are all used to encourage social skills and language development. After joining pre-school children will soon be able to recognise their own written name. As soon as they are ready, they are taught to write their name and then, when a little older, to write their on all their work/drawings/craft, thus fostering independence. The children are introduced to a new letter each week and are encouraged to bring in an item from home associated with this letter. Our aim is for all children to have a good grasp of alphabetical sounds before they leave for school. As children listen and learn at their own rate they become enthusiastic about language and feel confident about their ability to gain skills.

3. Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy

Mathematical language is used every day at pre-school such as: front of, bigger than, more than and concepts such as shapes, sizes and quantity. We also learn number rhymes, songs and counting. Children learn to count on a one to one basis, in small groups and as a pre-school. When they first join the school, children will begin to recognise and use numbers up to ten. As they gain confidence in numbers, they move to working with numbers up to 20. Most children will be able to count to 20 before they leave pre-school. Individual ability is always recognised and praise is given for all achievements.

4. Knowledge and understanding of the world

The children are given the opportunity to explore and recognise features of living things and objects. They enjoy playing with materials including sand, clay and water and this will assist cognitive and language development as well as fine motor control.

5. Physical development

We aim to have physical activity outside every day. This is usually possible unless there are unsafe weather conditions. This area concentrates on a child’s ability to increase control and co- ordination of both small and large muscles. Use of climbing frames, slides and games teach large motor control whilst small motor control and hand/eye co-ordination are developed by manipulative play with jigsaws, construction toys and bead threading.

6. Creative development

Through the media of art, music, dance, stories and imaginative play a child’s creative development will be enhanced. Play with paint, clay, salt dough, collage, modelling and drawing aids stimulate imagination, creativity, hand/eye co-ordination and fine motor control. We have a different craft activity available for the children every day. Activities include painting, printing, collage and model making. The children use scissors, chalk, crayons, glue, paper, card, tissue and gummed paper to make a huge variety of wonderful creations!