Lucy welcomes each child individually at the front door. As their excited chatter fills the hallways, each class gathers together with their teachers and friends ready to make their way to their classrooms. The children who came for 'Breakfast Club' at 8:00am excitedly tell their friends what they ate.
The children enter their classrooms and hang up their coats and bags on their pegs. They are invited to bring in a healthy snack to share.
The children make their own choices in the classroom supported and expanded by their teachers who foster learning and development opportunities - children learn to problem solve, with the process being as important as the outcome.
There are healthy snacks available throughout the school day. Children take a cup and plate, pour their milk or water and decide what to eat while chatting to other friends at the snack table. This helps children to regulate their own thirst and hunger. Clearing and washing up after themselves also encourages independence.
We use our newly designed school garden every day. Our outdoor classroom offers the children extended opportunities to paint, draw and read, discuss and problem solve together. The pond, mudkitchen, sensorial garden, balance bikes, tricycles, building and digging equipment along with our living willow den are all increadibly popular.
We frequently explore music, drama, dressing-up, messy play, science experiments and cooking within the school day.
At mid day, the children put on their coats and bags and wait on the bench in the front hall for their parents or carers to arrive. Once their parents or carers have safely signed the register it’s time to go home.
The children who are staying for lunch, all gather for a story and wait for their friends from the other classes to arrive. We provide a delicious hot lunch for the children, who sit at tables they have laid with china plates, glasses and flowers. The teachers support and care for the children in this great opportunity to chat about their mornings and make friends from the other classes.
The afternoons begin in the garden, returning to the classrooms for more structured work and play. The children can choose to use the Montessori equipment at any point in their afternoon.
At 3:00pm some of our children go home, while other children to stay with us for an exciting 'Afternoon Club' until 4:00pm