|
The Nursery
The early years of your child's life are commonly acknowledged to be the formative years. We aim to make these early years as joyful and productive as possible.
Nursery children are taught in small groups by class teachers who are qualified in the Montessori method, which provides a carefully planned sequence of activities in a prepared environment for each child and for the class group.
We aim to make children aware of others and be both considerate and polite to each other, have the ability to co-operate, achieve individual independence, build up self esteem and self-image, learn care and responsibility towards and for the environment and be able to organise themselves.
The children are helped to develop their gross and fine motor control and coordination via the Montessori Sensorial apparatus, which also aids concentration. We follow the child's own developmental stages and introduce relevant apparatus when appropriate. The Nursery provides an environment in which the child can experiment with, and learn through a rich variety of art and project work. We aim for children to be able to listen to and participate in group discussions and to be able to express themselves clearly, using a wide vocabulary. We make children aware of the numbers and letters indirectly through everyday activities, such as songs, finger play, sorting material, percussion music, etc.
Letters are taught phonetically; this process begins through indirect activities and is followed by introduction to sounds via the sandpaper letters. Each child is given the opportunity to develop at his or her own pace. Interest in words is encouraged through stories, both told and read, poems and discussions and through the joint exploring of the environment by the teacher and child together.
Letters and numbers are only a part of the daily routine. There is a whole range of other equally important activities in which the children are engaged. This includes both practical and social learning.
The Nursery children have a music/percussion lesson once a week and general singing every day. At the end of the Christmas and Summer terms the Nursery children perform a play or concert. These are enjoyable social occasions when parents can meet the teachers and one another.
The Gatehouse has its own Sports Hall, which the Nursery children use several times a week for PE and indoor play sessions. The Nursery has its own roof garden/play area with plants, which we use twice a day. We also have access to the extensive Junior School playground and Sensory Garden.
|
||
