A day in the life….Pre-school
At First Steps Nursery, we have two preschool rooms; one that runs all year round and the other that operates on a ‘term time’ only basis. Within both of our Preschools, the children’s interests are at the centre of all planning. The day passes by quickly, as the fun never stops as the children learn through play. During free play sessions, children are encouraged to be independent and to make their own choices from a wide range of different activities. A structured session is centred on individual learning where progress is carefully observed and recorded by your child’s Key Person. This, coupled with lots of fresh air, provides a busy day for all in the Pre-School Rooms. At the end of their time in pre-school, the children will have increased levels of confidence and be socially interactive, ensuring a smooth transition to full-time school.
A typical day in our nursery preschool room usually starts with breakfast time. This is an opportunity for the children to get their much needed fuel for a busy morning. The children are encouraged to make choices about what they would like to eat and be as independent as possible with eating, pouring and putting their bowls and spoons onto the tray once they have finished.
Throughout the day the children will have access to free play activities where they can choose from a variety of activities. They will be able to choose from; our home corner areas (which are changed and adapted regularly to give children different real life scenarios), construction toys, ICT toys including our large interactive tablet, mark making, sand and water play, small world toys and book areas. These activities aim to provide the children with variety within their day and places where they can learn and play with their peers.
We will also have some adult lead activities to participate in, these are activities that have been set up by the practitioners and focus upon the children’s next steps. In our preschool rooms we will be introducing new skills such as number and letter recognition, mark making skills, pencil and scissor control, colour recognition, group games and much more. Our skilled and knowledgeable practitioners ensure children have the opportunities to develop these new skills with support and guidance, introducing new language whilst helping the children to learn at a pace that suits them.
Within our day in the preschool rooms we also have group circle times, these are a fantastic opportunity for socialisation and the introduction to new language. In the morning and the afternoon the children self-register themselves. Our younger children have a photo with their written name underneath and our older children have their written name. This is a great way of recognising letters and encouraging independence. During this time we also complete our calendar where we talk about the day of the week and the season and the weather helping the children to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
Garden time is an essential part of our daily routine when the preschool children can explore our outdoor environment. Our large outdoor play equipment provides an opportunity for the children to practice skills such as climbing and balancing. The children have an opportunity to use the balance bikes and scooters to practice their gross motor skills. Being outside also allows the children to explore their natural environment and show curiosity about the world around them watching how things change throughout the seasons.
Meal times in preschool run slightly differently to our younger rooms and the children have the opportunity to self-serve. The children are encouraged to eat independently using cutlery and to help the practitioners tidy up at the end of meal times by scraping their plates and placing them on the tray. This is all fantastic practice for the transition to school.
As our children complete their journey with us in the preschool rooms at First Steps Nursery, we include some extra special events for them including their nativity, trips out in the local community and their graduation show. Our aim is to ensure children leave our preschool rooms having experienced a rich and exciting learning journey with us. Every day is different and every day is full of fun!
