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Early Years
The Mouse Club, Little Oak Pre-School
Our aims:
Within the Early Years, we aim to develop a child’s love of learning whilst preparing them for their later school life. We use both children’s interests and the statutory framework to shape our planning and form the basis of our curriculum. The Early Learning goals are used as a starting point and are based on the following areas:
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive arts and design
The children are given opportunities to learn in both child-initiated and adult-led activities. This combination allows children to gain the necessary knowledge and skills whilst gaining confidence ad social skills in a variety of learning situations.
Parental Engagement:
In our Early Years, there are lots of opportunities for children to share their learning with their parents across the school year. Each term we have a Stay and Play session that includes an informal chat with parents and our experienced Nursery Nurse where by the group discuss term dates and general parenting questions. This is then followed by an afternoon in the classroom where we share children’s work, organise lots of creative activities and the children explore their classroom with their parents. This is a fantastic and regular opportunity that is appreciated by both children and parents.
Regular learning updates are also posted on our Twitter account which is widely followed by our parents. This is a fantastic platform that allows for learning and experiences to be celebrated and shared with our families. Follow our updates here: https://twitter.com/BenNevisQEP
Outdoor Learning:
We are very fortunate at Queen Emma’s to have such a fantastic outdoor space in the Early Years. We are able to be outside in all weathers meaning the children have lots of opportunities to widen their learning opportunities and have fantastic experiences. We love to explore our woodland area where the children build dens, hunt for wildlife and make their own music. We see the outdoors as an extended classroom that is used every day; our children have a love of learning indoors and outdoors.
The Mouse Club:
In order to support the transition process for both parents and children, we have an exciting programme that is provided each year. This programme supports parents at home so that key skills are developed in preparation for their child joining school. Such skills include toileting and dressing as well as Literacy and Maths skills. Each child is also given a toy mouse during initial meetings with the Class Teacher; the mouse acts as a support for the children during those first few, key weeks in September. This has been a very successful scheme that is enjoyed by both parents and children alike!
Our current topic:
Our current topic: Do you want to be my friend? Would you like to play with me? What does it mean to be a good friend? Is that a good choice of bad choice? We will explore these questions and more in this project about friendship, being kind and working together.
In line with the statutory curriculum and our Cornerstones scheme, we are exploring friendships, similarities and differences. We will talk about how to be a good friend, what makes us different and how we are all the same. We will have an opportunity to go and visit lots of the staff who work at the school and introduce ourselves to them.
Some of the stories that we will be reading this term will be: Elmer, Lost and Found, The Smeds and the Smoos, Starting School, Beegu, The Bog Baby and so many more.
Within our Maths lessons we will be learning to recognise and order numbers, name and describe shapes and also to create repeating patterns.
We can't wait to start our 1st Term with you all!
Little Oak Pre-School:
For details of Little Oak Pre-School, please see their website:
https://www.littleoakpreschoolwitney.com/
