Age Groups
Little Acorns
The 0–2-year-olds receive love, comfort and security in a happy small unit, along with stimulation where learning through sensory and exploratory play using a wide range of toys and equipment is the key issue, preparing them for the activities to come when they reach 2 years.
Little Twigs
For 2-5-year olds, learning through play forms the basis of daily activity. Practitioners plan activities around the children's current interests and next steps in development. The children are also encouraged to choose their own activities from our large range of varied toys and aids designed to foster physical development, manipulative skills, role play and creativity. There are bricks, games, tricycles, cars, dolls, books, paints, glue, dressing up clothes, puzzles, a climbing frame etc. There are open areas for physical play and cosy corners for quieter activities. Typically, stories are read in one of these areas or the book corner where soft chairs and carpeting give a relaxed atmosphere to snuggle down with a book.
Pre-School
Our stimulating environment of our log-cabin classroom gives all children aged 3-5 years opportunities to enjoy learning.
A rich and exciting curriculum, both adult and child led is a prominent factor in the children's high level of achievement in all the Early Years Learning Goals.
Children within the Pre-School will experience a wide range of activities indoors and outdoors, supporting all children to achieve their potential and we promote children and their families to link learnings at home and setting.
Our ethos of happy and confident children is evident, with each child having the time to be able to express, grow and strive to do their very best.
We promote creativity and give children the opportunities to be imaginative and critical thinkers. We strive to help children develop confidence and independence supporting development of positive attitudes to learning in preparation for school.
Our extensive outdoors and comfortable Pre-School rooms provide a happy, caring atmosphere where children feel safe and can develop and learn. The daily opportunities create a wealth of exploration and investigation, where children can be in a child’s world in the outdoors, developing their own skills at their own pace as well as absorbing their learnings from our amazing pre-school team.
We take pride in our interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities. Communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing as well as facilitating and setting challenges.
We promote high standards of behaviour. Children learn to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of others, as well as high level of respect. These traits are often noted from the local schools as well as the children's independence and to be able to manage themselves within their Reception years.
Forest School
Forest school ties in with many areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. Being outdoors all year-round helps children learn about weather and the seasons, studying mini beasts and plant life and being in the local environment relates to how we support children in “Understanding the World”. Communicating ideas-listening to each other, sharing thoughts and working together promotes children within their Communication and Language development.
Forest school helps children develop many skills within physical development encouraging them to be motivated and active, with lots of activities to develop both fine and gross motor skills such as den building, climbing, balancing, weaving etc. Children learn to assess, appreciate and manage risks, they learn to be self-sufficient which greatly boosts their confidence and self-esteem. Through trial and error, they learn to deal with failure and develop the resilience to keep trying. This a vital skill in the classroom as well as in life as they grow up and greatly supports personal, social and emotional development.
Mathematical opportunities will be endless and being in the outdoors naturally promotes children to express themselves imaginatively and can offer a whole world of new opportunities when in the woods – who knows if we will see where the Gruffalo lives or spot any fairy gardens!
Children benefit from the simple act of being outdoors. We would like to improve our children’s mental and spiritual health, communication skills and social relationships and by connecting with nature helps the children at Abberley House to feel part of the world.