Our Approach
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning.
Play is really the work of childhood.”
Fred Rogers.
Scarning
Our Approach
We believe that children learn best when they are interested, inquisitive and engaged. Research tells us that for young children, learning and development is best achieved through play. Play gives children the opportunity to explore their own interests, enquire, plan and take risks.
By providing an open ended and enabling envirnoment, supported by skilful staff, we are able to seize the moment when a child is showing high levels of interest and curiosity. We can interact with the children to extend and draw out their learning. We call these opportunities our ‘teachable moments’.
What can you expect
to see?
The children will have free-flow access to the provision, which means that the children can choose what they play with and where their learning takes place. For the majority of the day, the children can chose whether they wish to play inside or out in the garden. We provide the children with waterproof clothing and they keep a pair of welly boots at the setting so they can be out in all weather. Parents are asked to provide suncream and sunhats for the warmer days.
The rooms are equipped and arranged so that the children can access the resources for themselves throughout the day, rather than the adults choosing for them. The adults will stand back and observe what the children are doing, assess what they need to do/know/learn next and plan their teaching, which will be delivered there and then.
How do we promote the children’s learning?
Adults make observations of the children playing and record interactions that take place and the outcomes. We observe, discuss and record what the children have shown an interest in and the learning we have observed in different areas. We can then use this knowledge to enhance the learning environment adding further resources, books, practical objects and experiences to help children progress their learning and develop their interests further.
How do we work with parents/carers to support children’s learning?
At the start of the year we offer home visits and stay and play sessions. These help us to get to know our families and children and are a great start in helping us to build relationships. In the first month of a child joining us we spend lots of time getting to know them, finding out their interests, strengths and any areas where they may need support.
Throughout each term key workers spend time observing the children and talking to parents/carers to find out more about the children. ‘Spotlight’ sheets are completed for each child to give parents/carers an insight into what their children have been doing at pre school, what the next steps in the learning and development are and how we are going to plan for these. These sheets are shared with parents via our online learning journal ‘Famly’.
We also add to Famly to share with parents/carers any significant learning, ‘wow moments’ and special events that might have taken place. We also invite all our parents/carers to add their own observations, sharing with us activities the children have taken part in outside of pre school, significant family celebrations, pets and much more! The children love being able to share photos with the adults and their friends at pre school.