About Learning
Caterpillars and Butterflies
We operate in two rooms: the younger children (2-3 years old) play in the ‘caterpillars’ room and the other room accommodates the ‘butterflies’ (3-4 years old).
Both rooms have specifically designed furniture and staff ratios for the relevant age group (in line with the EYFS statutory framework and our staffing policy). In each room the curriculum and planning is tailored accordingly.
The prime areas in both rooms are ‘Communication and Language‘, ‘ Personal, Social and Emotional Development‘ and ‘Physical Development‘. The specific areas are ‘Literacy‘, ‘Mathematics‘, ‘Understanding the World‘ and ‘Expressive Arts and Design‘. One specific example of differing activities for ‘Literacy’ would be: in the Caterpillar room the children will be enjoying songs and rhymes, tuning in and paying attention, joining in, copying sounds, rhythms, tunes and tempo, saying some songs and rhymes, copying finger movements and other gestures, singing songs and say rhymes independently, for example, singing whilst playing. For the Butterfly room we would help to develop their phonological awareness so they can: spot and suggest rhymes, count or clap syllables in a word, recognise words with the same initial sound.
Key workers and your child’s learning journey
We believe that children settle best when they have a key person to relate to. We allocate a key worker before a child starts with us. Your keyworker will meet with you when your child starts, to look through your application form with you, to allow you to ask any questions and to find out more information about your child and family.
Your keyworker will also be in charge of your child’s development at preschool. They will have a comprehensive knowledge of their key children. They will know what levels of development they are at and in what areas. This is documented in ‘Famly’ which you will have access to and can upload your learning experiences from home. They will plan next steps in your child’s learning each term to ensure development.
If you would like to talk to someone about your child, your first port of call will be their keyworker.
Curriculum
We use’ Development Matters’ (Non-statutory Curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage) and the EYFS statutory Framework to help plan our activities.
This framework outlines how early years practitioners should work with children and their families to support their development and learning. We also use it to inform how children should be kept safe and cared for and how all concerned can make sure that they achieve the most they can in their earliest years of life.
Information on the curriculum can be found in our prospectus.
Our regular activities include circle time, arts and crafts, music and movement, messy play and outdoor play and these are described in more detail in the prospectus.
Outings and Community involvement
We are involved in a number of community events including the Modbury May Fair, the Christmas Lights’ Celebration and the school sports day.
We have links with local play groups and are regularly visited by key people in the community including the vicar, the fire service, the vet, the dentist and the police.
We take the children on outings (library, residential home, local play parks) and annually go on a bus ride to an adventure park.
We welcome being contacted by local groups to develop community links.
