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 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, easel and a range of mark-making materials.
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.

It is recommended that young children should be physically active for 3 hours per day.

Circle Time area

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

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

'Home Corner

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.

Loose parts

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.

Soft play area

Children are able to explore movement on our indoor 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.

Snack area

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 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.

We also use this area for our weekly cooking / baking sessions. Recent treats include home-made vegtable soup, strawberry cake and sprinkle biscuits.

Mark-making area

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

Our chalk board wall gives our young artisits an alternative pallet to draw on.

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