Children usually move in to our Pre-Prep group around their second birthday. By now our children are active, inquisitive and have rapidly developing language skills. Therefore, this is a bright and engaging room with plenty of exciting activities for the children to discover and explore. As our children turn two, they are gradually ready to participate in some simple, more focused activities with staff members. The child led activities are often open ended in nature and allow the children to explore, follow their own lines of enquiry and be imaginative. Staff participate in this play too, skillfully monitoring and joining in the children’s play to model key social and language skills and, when appropriate, extend their learning. The adult led learning is delivered through focused activities, either one to one or in a small group. This is where our focus on early education really comes to the fore and we work to develop vital skills in a fun and play based way. We work hard to develop your child’s Literacy & Maths skills in a way that suits them; whether they learn best through a quiet one to one counting activity or enjoy searching for shapes hidden in some shaving foam or forming a letter ‘p’ using some popcorn - we will find a way to engage your child in their learning!

Children are generally very social by this age and it is a delight to see them begin to play together imaginatively. Their increased language skills allow them to hold conversations with each other and participate in shared play. This is encouraged and supported by all staff who ensure that friendly behavior is nurtured and children begin to learn how to interact socially in a confident, secure and positive way. You will see a big change in the level of independence of the children in this age group. We support and encourage all of our children to ‘have a go’ when it comes to their self-help skills, even when it gets a little tricky! We work hard on teaching children how to put their own outdoor clothing on, helping where needed and giving lots of praise! We spend time at meal times developing excellent table manners, encouraging the children to eat with their knives and forks  as well as using please and thank you. All children are encouraged to begin to take control of their own hygiene through hand washing under careful supervision. This is also the time when most children go through the toilet training process and our Pre-Prep staff are able to work with parents in order to make this transition as smooth as possible. Our Pre-Prep group is a lively and energetic room with lots of chatter, fun and excitement.  There is always laughter, spontaneity and a little randomness throughout the day ensuring that there is a funny story to take home at the end of it!