Pre-School

THE EARLY YEARS

Kings Monkton now has a brand new early years unit. The two previous pre-school classes – Nursery and Foundation - have now been merged to form a fantastic new combined facility which is a modern, bright and stimulating setting for young minds and personalities to flourish. The new open plan space allows for free movement between the areas and children now have further access to a wide range of activity-based learning.

The psychological, social and physical environment that children experience when they are very young can have a profound impact on their subsequent lives. Given most of our important neural development has been formed by the age of three, we feel it important that the children have access to a bright, airy and stimulating environment in the course of their school day.

Nursery

The Nursery is staffed by dedicated and qualified nursery nurses and is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm daily for 51 weeks of the year (closing for a week at Christmas and for Bank Holidays). Learning through play and activity, children in our Nursery are given every opportunity to discover the world about them, to begin to develop early literacy and numeracy skills and to learn how to socialise well with other children. Comfort and care in our happy and cosy environment ensure that the Nursery becomes a real home-from-home for the children. Safe, challenging play in the well equipped outdoor play area helps them to develop physically and to grow in self-awareness.

Foundation Class

Building on this, a flying start to school life is assured for children as they enter our Foundation class and begin, as they are ready, to acquire knowledge of letters and numbers and to make a start on our phonics and reading programme. Musical activities, early steps in physical education, creativity in art and craft, use of the computer and an introduction to learning French all serve to enrich the experience. Their day is still based around stimulating play activities, which reinforce the children’s natural curiosity and sense of fun and wonder in learning new things.

In Foundation class, children usually attend on a full-time basis during term time (8.45am – 3.15pm). Care, supervision and a range of activities are still available outside these hours from 8.00am to 6.00pm as well as during school holidays. An excellent range of meals and snacks is provided on a daily basis.

 

The two classes reflect the changes that take place in children’s development during these all important early years and are an ideal preparation for Primary school entry.

Children are able to join our Nursery from the age of two, on a part time or full time basis, and progress through to the Foundation Class in the academic year in which they become four.