Our Learning

Our vision

Our vision for the pre-school sets out its desire to provide children with the best possible start to school life, valuing them as individuals and enabling them to become confident, self-motivated and caring members of society.

It provides a welcoming and inspirational learning environment, which stimulates and challenges individuals to achieve their full potential. It is has skilled, highly motivated staff and governors who are committed to the forward movement of the pre-school and its provision.

Ofsted

The most recent Ofsted inspection of Greenfield Pre-School in July 2018 rated the school Good alongside the primary school inspection. You can read the report here. We are proud of the reputation of the pre-school and all staff and governors want the new pre-school to continue to provide children with the best possible start to school life, in a welcoming and inspirational learning environment.

The Early Years Statutory Framework

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. This is the core document all early years professionals follow.

There are seven key areas of learning:

- Communication and Language

- Physical Development

- Personal, Social and Emotional Development

- Literacy

- Mathematics

- Understanding the World

- Expressive Arts and Design

We call these Developmental Matters or DMs.

 

Our curriculum follows these key areas of learning in a nurturing and play based environment. A typical session might include:

- Self registration

- Free-flow activities

- Group work

- Sue Time

- Story

- Snacks

- Singing

Children take part in extra-curricular activities including Dance, French and Forest School. They also take part in trips and performances throughout the year, at Easter, Harvest in the autumn and a nativity at Christmas. We also take part in local and national funding raising camapigns including Red Nose day and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Key Worker

Each child is assigned a key worker who will get to know your child particularly well and understand their likes and dislikes, but all of our staff get to know and work with all of the children. 

Assessment

Observation of a child is vital and assessment of a child's learning and development is ongoing. This ensures we understand what a child can do so we can help them move on to their next stage of learning.

The first assessment we make is in the first half term of the children being at pre-school. This is the Early Assessment Review which we refer to as EARS. We use highlighting sheets to record the assessment of the child against each area of the DMs so we can judge the level at which a child is working at.

Partnership with Parents/Carers

Parents have a vital role in supporting their child's learning and development and it can be helpful for parents to know what to expect in relation to their child's development through the different age bands of the EYFS. What to expect, when? is a simple guide that takes parents through the expectations of each band in the EYFS and how they can support their child's learning and development.You can download a copy here:

4Children_ParentsGuide_Sept_2015v4WEB1

Parent questionnaires are carried out annually with feedback and actions posted to our website.

Learning Journey

Each child has their own personal Learning Journey in which we keep all the records and assessments of their own learning experiences. Photos and post-it observations of the many activities they take part in build a wonderful record of their time at the pre-school.

Our learning environment

Our pre-school is situated in a new, purpose built facility at Greenfield Primary School. Bright, modern and flexible, it is located next to our Foundation Stage block.

Children at the pre-school have access to additional resources, creative and physical activities, large outdoor space, Forest School, and the wider school life and the social benefits that being part of Greenfield brings.

The majority of children at the pre-school start school at Greenfield and because the pre-school is fully integrated into school life, we expect the children's transition to the Foundation Stage to be excellent. Children who have previously started at Greenfield from the pre-school have settled extremely well and been 'school ready' thanks to the close teaching and curriculum links already established.