Kindergarten

Children join the Kindergarten when they are 4 years old. The boys and girls who move up from our pre-school find it a smooth transition and those who join us for the first time are soon comfortable in our warm, caring environment.

We recognise this is an important milestone and change to routine for many children, and therefore we offer the choice to ease gently in to full-time hours by giving two optional half day (morning) sessions in the Autumn Term and one half day in the Spring Term as well as the option to join as full time straight away.

Kindergarten is a very special time for each child to begin their individual learning journey, and to grow in all areas of the EYFS curriculum, which includes social and physical skills, learning new routines and becoming more independent.

“A happy child is a healthy learning child…”

A happy child is a healthy learning child and that is something that is important throughout the school but the foundations of this are set in Kindergarten. We develop and nurture confidence, wellbeing and happiness in all we do in Kindergarten and allow the children to begin to understand their emotions and develop their sense of self from a young age. Through use of resources such as the colour monster, the children find their own way to talk about how they feel and how they can express themselves.

Kindergarten sets a foundation for learning, but also a love of learning. Every week the class has a book of the week and the children read daily. The children also take it in turns to take home ERIC bear (Everybody Read In Class), who will accompany them on their adventures with friends and family and listen to their bedtime stories. This all fosters a love of reading which they carry with them through the rest of their learning life.

Throughout the year they have the opportunity to take part in core and specialist subjects, as well as drama, dance, dough disco, yoga and much more!

Outdoor “Welly Days” are continued in Kindergarten and onwards throughout their time at Brooke Priory and the children in Kindergarten enjoy a number of off-site day trips to support their learning as well as enjoyable trips to the theatre to name a few.

Following on from pre-school the children also have access to “Continuous Provision” to support their learning and of course lots of opportunity for play and having fun.

Alongside their younger peers in nursery and preschool, they also have the opportunity to be part of the nativity and prepare a wonderful class performance for their parents.

Nurturing confidence and independence…

This is the first time that the children have to wear a school uniform and many of them are very proud when they arrive sporting their new blazers, making them feel very grown up and giving them a sense of being a part of the school community.

To help with their transition to “big school” and to encourage confidence in relationship building, each child is paired up with a Form VI “buddy” at the beginning of the school year. This in an important role for the buddy to help the Kindergarten children to settle in, and to help and encourage each child to become more independent, for example by helping to put their tractor suit on at break time and guiding them carefully round the playground areas. It is an excellent way for older pupils to role model behaviour, experience a position of responsibility and for their younger peers to have somebody to nurture and guide them as they navigate their way into school life. Often these relationships become very strong and last well after the boys and girls leave Brooke Priory.

Every day in Kindergarten is charged with new challenges and it is wonderful to watch our young pupils grow in confidence and blossom into happy, inquisitive and successful learners, eager to broaden their knowledge and develop their skills.

Kindergarten at Brooke Priory

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