Typical Day
Free Play – indoors and out
In the morning the children are greeted by a member of staff. Once coats and bags are hung up and shoes are changed the children come together for self registration and a steady start to the pre-school day. The children then have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities such as arts and crafts, small world, ICT, construction, role-play settings, sand and water pay, story time alongside keyworkers. These regular activities are thoroughly planned with children’s interests at the heart of everything we do and are rotated so that there are always new learning opportunities for the children to explore. The children often play in small groups and move around the different activities as they wish.
The benefit of being a pack away Pre-School is that the room looks different and exciting every morning. The children love this variety. The children are encouraged to play outside as much as possible come rain or shine. We have a secure outside play area with our own garden planters, grow your own area, sand and water play, hopscotch, alphabet snail, basketball hoop and a range of outdoor toys including bikes, scooters and story corner.
We often go out for walks around the village. We will always give parents / carers as much notice as possible when planning an outdoor activity and will always get consent from you before taking children off the Pre-School premises.
Snack Time
Mid-morning is snack time. The children sit around tables and have a drink (milk or water) and a snack. We run a 4 week snack menu with a wide variety of foods (children with allergens are offered very similar alternatives). Children are encouraged to self serve from a large plate placed in the centre of each table, giving the children the freedom of choice and chance to try different foods alongside others.
Sample Snack menu – Pre-School Snack Menu January 2024
Story and Song Time
Towards the end of the session we come together as a group and either listen to or share stories or sing songs. This brings a calm ending to the session before home time.
Lunch Club
(taken as part of afternoon sessions or an optional extra for children attending morning sessions)
Lunch club is a social time where children and staff sit down together for lunch. Social skills are developed as children are encouraged to talk about their day and learn table manners. This is also a good way for children to get used to eating their own packed lunch in preparation for the move to primary school. We promote healthy eating, please may we ask that you prepare healthy packed lunches and snacks for your children. We also follow the food standard agencies safer foods under 5. You can find this online and we will always display this within the setting.
Please also note that we are a nut and peanut free pre-school
Afternoon session
The afternoon session starts at 12 noon in time for lunch. After lunch, the children go outside for some fresh air and to explore the outdoors whilst the hall is re-set with a range of new activities for the children to engage in. The children are then able to free flow between the indoor and outdoor learning spaces supported by staff. We also have key worker time, where the children enjoy one-to-one or small group time. We then end the day settling down on the carpet for a story or singing to wind down before home time.
