Pre-Prep (Early Years)

The children at St Mary’s Hare Park all bring their own individual experiences, skills and needs as they start school with us. We aim to value and build on this individuality and provide an environment where they are nurtured and cared for in their early year’s education. 

The children attend our Nursery class (age from 2.5 years) for agreed sessions across the week and wear our nursery uniform.

They attend Pre-School class (from the September or January before they are 4 years old) or the Reception class (the September before they are 5 years old.) full time and wear our school uniform.

The children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum which provides a nurturing start to their education covering all seven areas of their developmental learning.  

These areas are:

• Communication and Language  
• Physical Development 
• Personal and Social and Emotional Development  
• Literacy 
• Maths  
• Understanding the World 
• Expressive arts and design 
  
   
  The children learn through their play as they are introduced to a variety of activities designed to develop their skills in all these areas. They are encouraged to participate in a balance of adult-focused activities and child-led tasks which encourage them to become independent learners. Children in their early years learn through practical experiences with opportunities to develop their imagination and social skills. 
  
  They have the opportunity to play indoors and outdoors as well as to participate in forest school activities; they join the older children for assemblies, special celebration days and at lunchtimes too. All the children are supported to develop their awareness of health and self -care skills in using the toilets independently and hand washing. The youngest children are encouraged to rest before more fun learning in the afternoons.  
  
  As the children move through Nursery to the Reception class they have specialist teachers for Music, Computing, Drama, French and P.E. 
  
  They enjoy performing in assemblies and concerts for their families and the rest of the school. They participate in whole school charity events, special days and sports activities.  
  
  In Pre-School and Reception classes, the children continue to learn through play and are gradually introduced to more structured adult-led sessions for Maths and Literacy. They are taught Maths through a variety of practical activities both indoors and outdoors and phonic skills when they are developmentally ready. They are gradually introduced to a structured individual reading programme using our reading scheme and their growing phonic knowledge.

In the final term of Reception class the children move towards a more structured approach to learning in readiness for their move into Key Stage 1.