Welcome to
The care and education offered by St.Crispin’s Pre-school help children to learn and develop by providing all the children with interesting activities that are right for their age and stage of development.
We provide a curriculum for the foundation stage of education for children between the ages of 2½ and 5. This curriculum is set out in a document, published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Department for Education and Skills, and is called Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. This guidance divides children's learning and development into the following six areas:
· Personal, social and emotional development
· Communication, language and literacy development
· Mathematical development
· Knowledge and understanding of the world
· Physical development
· Creative development
Each area sets out early learning goals, which state what it is expected of the children. This includes what they need to know and what they need to be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.
For each early learning goal, the guidance sets out stepping stones, which describe the stages through which children are likely to pass as they move to achievement of the goal. St.Crispin’s Pre-school use the early learning goals and their stepping stones to help trace each child's progress and to enable us to provide the right activities to help all the children move towards achievement of the early learning goals.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
With appropriate adult support children develop independence and confidence whilst playing alone, in small or in large groups. Playing in the “home corner”, with the garages, cars, prams, dressing-up clothes, Duplo and other miniature world equipment, children explore their own ideas about life. As part of a large group, they also learn how to co-operate, take turns and share. All our children are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves, the group, its members and its property.
Communication, Language and Literacy
In both small and large groups of children, and in the company of responsible adults, children are encouraged to listen and to communicate through language. Our high adult to child ratio means that there is plenty of time for our staff to talk to all the children and for the children to talk to each other in an orderly and supportive environment. Story time and the use of our library corner enable children to understand from experience that words and pictures carry meaning. Those who are ready are encouraged to use drawn and written symbols.
Mathematical Development
Children count, measure, match and sort in the course of their pre-school activities, becoming familiar with concepts of quantity, size, weight and sequence. Using jigsaws, number rhymes, board games and other games such as dominoes, and with the help of the adults with them, our children learn how to use the vocabulary of basic mathematics.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Experimenting with a range of substances enables children to begin to identify the properties of materials and to classify, describe and predict. Equipment used for sand and water play, cooking, measuring and painting all promote scientific discovery. Our staff encourages the children to ask questions and to explore thoughts and observations about the world. The weekly theme often provides a starting point for this. Visits from nurses, firemen, policemen, guide dogs and their trainers, as well as carefully supervised outings - See Our Events -, provide first-hand experience of the world around the children and offers plenty of opportunity for learning and discussion.
Physical Development
Carefully chosen equipment, such as the balance beam, trampoline, play tunnel, crawl-through barrel and climbing frame, give our children the opportunity to develop physical skills and spatial awareness. Manual dexterity is also developed as the children learn with increasing skill to use small tools such as scissors, pens and brushes.
Creative Development
Access to a wide range of craft materials, such as play dough, clay, paper, sand and paint enables our children to develop their creativity, expressing feelings and experiences in a variety of forms. Stories, music and movement give further opportunities for children to explore and express their own feelings.
We provide a curriculum for the foundation stage of education for children between the ages of 2½ and 5. This curriculum is set out in a document, published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Department for Education and Skills, and is called Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. This guidance divides children's learning and development into the following six areas:
· Personal, social and emotional development
· Communication, language and literacy development
· Mathematical development
· Knowledge and understanding of the world
· Physical development
· Creative development
Each area sets out early learning goals, which state what it is expected of the children. This includes what they need to know and what they need to be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.
For each early learning goal, the guidance sets out stepping stones, which describe the stages through which children are likely to pass as they move to achievement of the goal. St.Crispin’s Pre-school use the early learning goals and their stepping stones to help trace each child's progress and to enable us to provide the right activities to help all the children move towards achievement of the early learning goals.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
With appropriate adult support children develop independence and confidence whilst playing alone, in small or in large groups. Playing in the “home corner”, with the garages, cars, prams, dressing-up clothes, Duplo and other miniature world equipment, children explore their own ideas about life. As part of a large group, they also learn how to co-operate, take turns and share. All our children are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves, the group, its members and its property.
Communication, Language and Literacy
In both small and large groups of children, and in the company of responsible adults, children are encouraged to listen and to communicate through language. Our high adult to child ratio means that there is plenty of time for our staff to talk to all the children and for the children to talk to each other in an orderly and supportive environment. Story time and the use of our library corner enable children to understand from experience that words and pictures carry meaning. Those who are ready are encouraged to use drawn and written symbols.
Mathematical Development
Children count, measure, match and sort in the course of their pre-school activities, becoming familiar with concepts of quantity, size, weight and sequence. Using jigsaws, number rhymes, board games and other games such as dominoes, and with the help of the adults with them, our children learn how to use the vocabulary of basic mathematics.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Experimenting with a range of substances enables children to begin to identify the properties of materials and to classify, describe and predict. Equipment used for sand and water play, cooking, measuring and painting all promote scientific discovery. Our staff encourages the children to ask questions and to explore thoughts and observations about the world. The weekly theme often provides a starting point for this. Visits from nurses, firemen, policemen, guide dogs and their trainers, as well as carefully supervised outings - See Our Events -, provide first-hand experience of the world around the children and offers plenty of opportunity for learning and discussion.
Physical Development
Carefully chosen equipment, such as the balance beam, trampoline, play tunnel, crawl-through barrel and climbing frame, give our children the opportunity to develop physical skills and spatial awareness. Manual dexterity is also developed as the children learn with increasing skill to use small tools such as scissors, pens and brushes.
Creative Development
Access to a wide range of craft materials, such as play dough, clay, paper, sand and paint enables our children to develop their creativity, expressing feelings and experiences in a variety of forms. Stories, music and movement give further opportunities for children to explore and express their own feelings.
Information
St Crispin's Pre-school
Sessions Available Now
2 1/2 Year Old Sessions
30 Years Of Excellence
2 1/2 Year Old Sessions
30 Years Of Excellence
