The Preschool setting

Our Learning Environments

We are lucky to have a large, versatile indoor space which can easily be adapted to meet the needs of our little learners.

Our outdoor spaces are easily accessible throughout the day and are parallel to the neighbouring Primary School's Reception class, which aids the transition to 'Big School'.

As a team, we regularly review our areas, resources and practice to ensure all are suitable and engaging for our current cohort and observe the impact.

Canopy

We have a purpose-built outdoor area which the children have access to during the day, including an enclosed canopied area surrounding the entrance allowing the children to explore no matter what the weather.

In this area, children have access to:

An outdoor kitchen with pots, pans, utensils, and plenty of loose parts e.g., sand, pine cones, shells, pebbles, wooden blocks etc.
A large chalk board, perspex easel and other mark-making materials, including water colours, dabbers, pencils, crayons etc.
Fiction and non-fiction books.
Sand and water play.

Garden

This area provides children with the opportunity to explore nature and observe growth and change over time. We are currently growing potatoes, beans, tomatoes, peppers and sunflowers.

This is also our forest school inspired area where we cook pancakes on the fire pit and use our woodwork tools.

There is a 'Bug Hotel' for our creepy-crawly residents! We often 'rescue' insects and place them safely in the hotel and carefully observe them using magnifying glasses etc.

More information on what 'risky play' is and why it is important in the Early Years can be found here.

Outdoor space

This area provides children with the chance to let off some steam. They are free to explore the slide and climbing apparatus on the artificially turfed area. Children enjoy riding tricycles and scooters on the paved areas and greeting our neighbours in Reception class.

The children enjoy our recently created car wash equipped with sponges and cleaning materials to spark their imagination and clean their vehicles.

Did you know young children should be physically active for 3 hours per day?

Circle Time area

This area is a clean space, without toys, and is a very important aspect of our daily routine and Preschool as a whole. It is our 'hub' and the heart of the Preschool. A simple shake of a tambourine will have the children cheer "Circle Time!" and rush to gather together. We start and end our sessions with a short 5-10 minute Circle Time so as not to disturb the children's very important play.

At the start of each session, we do our daily warm-up, followed by singing and signing our 'hello' song, and finished with discussing the day of the week, weather and choosing our 'handy helpers' for snack.

'Home-from-Home' area

This area provides children with the opportunity to explore a home environment and act out their experiences with other children. Children have access to many props and real-life resources to extend their learning and process their thinking.

You can find more information on the importance of role-play here.

This area offers a calm and familiar space for children to relax and unwind independently and with staff. Children enjoy looking at their 'family books' which helps to promote self-regulation if they are feeling various emotions and to talk about their home-life.

A calm and cosy tent with cushions, puppets and books provides a safe, quiet space for children to relax.

Small-world area

This area allows children to control their own learning and extend their play day after day. We have a large selection of favourite small-world toys e.g., animals, dinosaurs, cars, trains etc., along with natural and other loose-parts.

Not sure why we provide loose parts? It is part of our pedagogy to encourage children to self-regulate and lead their own learning using open-ended resources rather than simple toys. Information on loose part play and how you can easily implement it at home can be found here.

Climbing frame area

Children are able to explore movement on our indoor climbing A-frame, gym mats, play tunnel and bouncy toys. This area supports the development of gross-motor skills, balance, and coordination.

In line with our curriculum goals, children are encouraged to remove and put on their shoes independently.

The children understand a maximum of 3 children can use the area at one time and a visual timer is often used to help children develop a concept of time and support self-regulation with turn-taking.

Snack area

Snack-time is not just about feeding hungry tummies. For us, it is a daily ritual and important learning opportunity as part of our curriculum.

We choose our 'handy helpers' at Circle Time who help a member of staff to prepare the fruit and vegetables supplied by our families. The children use blunt knives, chopping boards, spoons and colanders to wash, peel and chop the snack. This develops their fine-motor skills as well as providing a perfect opportunity to use mathematical language, colour recognition and discuss the importance of healthy eating, 'sometimes' food and oral hygiene.

The children take it in turns to self-serve their snack and are supported to pour themselves a drink of water or milk. They sit alongside a few friends and an adult where conversation and manners are encouraged.

When finished and tummies are full, the children are encouraged to wash their bowl and cup to promote independence and a sense of responsibility.

Mark-making area

This area is designed for children to explore creative materials independently such as pens, dabbers, pencils, water colours, crayons, and chalks etc.

Here are some tips for supporting your child's mark-making (and early handwriting) at home.