students sat at a table playing

Kindergarten

3 to 4 years

There are two Kindergarten classes with four full-time staff – one Teacher, one Room Leader and two Teaching Assistants. They are responsible for assessment and record keeping within the group, liaising with parents, monitoring progress and general matters relating to the children in their care. Our children will also get to know the Reception teachers as there are times when the two groups work together or they use the outside areas at the same time.

Attendance in Kindergarten is normally part-time with six sessions being the minimum attendance. It is important that the sessions are appropriate for the child and their individual needs hence some children who have attended full-time Nursery will be capable of attending some full days from the outset. During the year a child can build up their attendance, dependent upon age and previous experience. Flexibility is the key here; if a child settles quickly and is coping well, additional sessions may be available. On the other hand, if we find a child becoming over tired, we might consider a different schedule. Our aim would be to slowly increase the number of sessions attended throughout the year, in preparation for full-time attendance in Reception.

The timetabled activities are issued to parents so afternoon sessions can be selected accordingly. The curriculum is very flexible at this stage and the children will be following an individual programme of learning, which will be closely monitored and recorded by the teacher. 

The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is followed, with the emphasis on first hand learning through well-structured play activities and each day is different. Specialist lessons such as Music, Forest School and P.E. are spread throughout the week and are taught by specialist teaching staff in the dedicated classrooms. Other than lunch and break-times, the remainder of the timetable is flexible, though each session is carefully planned and organised by the team.

Kindergarten children participate in the annual Early Years Nativity performance, take part in the school’s Sports Day and at the end of the year perform their own class assembly. 

A Day in the Life at Nursery and Kindergarten

APRIL OPEN MORNING

Experience life at Longacre as we open our doors on Saturday 20th April for a family Adventure Day.

Tackle the Climbing Wall, get creative with our LEGO STEM kits, discover Forest School, or head to Nursery and discover how we lay the foundations for learning at our Stay and Play session.

To RSVP, please visit our Open Day page here.

 

RSVP Now