Woolley Road

About us

Woolley Road accommodates 3 - 4 year old children, we offer a variety of sessions so that children can work up to a full week at school hours in preparation for starting reception at school.

We offer Morning sessions (3hrs), afternoon sessions (3hrs), morning plus lunch (4hrs) and full day sessions (6.5hrs).

We accept the 3/4 year government funding.

Top up fees are £5 per hour, or £15 per 3 hour session. We accept childcare vouchers and you are able to pay using your tax free childcare account.

Children can access both indoor and outdoor free flow play whilst at Woolley Road, with a wide variety of activities and resources on offer for them to enjoy whilst developing their knowledge, understanding and learning new skills.

Sensitive and supportive staff are available for children to help them to settle at Pre-School, develop friendships, master toileting and other self-care needs, as well as enable them to learn and develop.

We provide a morning and afternoon snack with toast, crackers, fruit, vegetables, milk and water as healthy choices for the children.

We have regular staff who work with the children at Woolley Road, Kirsty, Tracey, Julie, Alison, Frances and Megan.

We offer tailored settling sessions, as well as transition visits if your child is coming to us from the Tin Hut to ensure your child feels safe, happy and secure.

If you would like to book a visit please call us on 07368 892086 or 07792353802

Our Curriculum and Pedagogical approach!

We believe that children learn best through play with supportive adults, who scaffold and interact with children during their play, we offer a mix of child led, guided play and adult led activities.

"Play is considered essential for brain development as it enhances curiosity, facilitating memory and learning" (Yogman, 2018)

We aim to provide an environment where children can access activities and resources that support them to learn in the 7 areas of learning.

"Play is an important part of child development that occurs during the periods of most rapid brain growth" (Goldstein, 2012)

Activities on offer include:

Small world play, block play (large and small construction), quiet and cosy areas for reading stories, books, role play (home corner), open ended resources for role play, malleable and messy play opportunities, mark making equipment and materials, instruments and resources that encourage investigation and exploration, opportunities for climbing through, under and over, outdoor opportunities for riding trikes, scooters and wheeled toys, and an outdoor area that provides opportunities to explore the environment, the sounds, the sights, smells and experiences of seasonal weather.

"By providing children with time, space and opportunity to play, they can experience new things and practice existing skills" (Bales, 2016)

The 7 areas are Personal and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Physical Development, Maths, Literacy, Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts and design.

Our Intent

For children to settle happily at the Pre-School and gain confidence with new situations
For children to be able to communicate their needs and to be able to talk to their friends and adults
For children to be able to listen to, understand and follow instructions
For children to make friends and to be able to take turns and share resources with their friends.
To support children to become more independent with self-care and in choosing activities
To support children to name, and understand their own and others feelings, and to find healthy ways to regulate them.
For children to develop curiosity, so they can explore and investigate and in turn learn about things and develop new skills.

Environment and Activities

Woolley Road has a large play room, we have a small cloak room where we welcome the children each day and they can hang their coats and put away their belongings with support from adults, with the long term goal that they will be able to do this independently.

The main play room is large, bright and airy. We have a variety of areas for the children to explore and access resources independently.

There is a role play home area, which we can add enhancement to at times when children show an interest in other play for example a hospital or supermarket.

A variety of small world resources and building materials are accessible at all times.

There is a creative station where children can access whatever media or materials they wish e.g paint, glue, material, paper, chalk, pens, glitter, etc, and a writing area where children can develop mark making skills, writing letters, drawing pictures and using a range of writing media such as chalk, pens, pencils etc.

A cosy reading area allows the children to look at books either on their own, with a friend or an adult.

There is also a quiet area where children can go to sit on cushions, use fidget toys, cuddle teddies and take time out from the busy environment.

We have a bathroom with two child size toilets and sinks, to allow children to independently access, we also have a potty and changing mat for those children less confident with this area.

Outside the front of the building and down along the side, we have a paved outside area, there is an area where children can ride bikes, trikes and scooters, climb and slide on our A-frame. There is an area with log seating where children can read books, use binoculars and magnifying glasses to search for nature. We utilise tuff spots to put out a variety of messy/investigating activities. We have a covered sandpit, an outdoor kitchen, and a large area with a variety of materials for designing, creating and building.

As soon as all the children are in session, we secure the play area and open the doors so that children can access free flow play where they can choose where to play.

Routine

Morning Session – 8.50am-11.50am

8.50am - Welcome to Pre-School! - Doors open, children encouraged to put away their own belongings, wash hands, and self register using name flowers

Free flow play Play, Outdoors open by 9.30am

9.30am - Rolling snack open - children are able to chose when to come for snack, bring their flower name from register board, before washing hands, and self selecting their food, and pouring their own drinks.

10.05am - last call for rolling snack - closed at 10.15am

10.30am - Library open for choosing books/Morning nappies

10.45am - 5 minute warning for tidy away time

10.50am - Tidy up time, children are encouraged to help to tidy the play areas

11.00am - Key group/small group time

11.30am - Whole group story and show and tell

11.50am - End of morning session, children going home are taken to the gate to meet parents/carers.

11.50am - Lunch time, children staying for lunch wash hands, collect lunch bags and sit for lunch

Afternoon session 12.20pm – 3.20pm

12.20pm - Start of the afternoon session, welcome children in + finishing lunch and quiet activities on the carpet. (Tidy lunch area)

12.30pm - Free flow play, Outdoors open by 12.45pm (child initiated play and adult led activities)

1.45pm - Library open for choosing books/Afternoon Nappies

2.00pm - 5 minute warning for tidy away time

2.05pm - Tidy up time, children are encouraged to help to tidy the play areas

2.15pm - Key group/small group time

2.45pm - Snack time, all children sit together for fruit, a sweet or savoury biscuit and a drink of milk or water

3.00pm - Story of the week/show and tell

3.15pm - Get ready for home time – Toilet and wash hands, collect coats, bags, lunch boxes and green book bags.

3.20pm Time for home

One afternoon per week, the children will walk with staff to the Tin Hut to use their wild garden for a nature session, from 12.45pm-2.15pm.

The Pre-school routine is not set in stone and is flexible to support children’s needs and interests, and to incorporate festivals, local events and different types of weather