Alfresco
And Forest Pre-School
Childcare
Den Building
Pre-School is for children aged 3 to 5 years old. The purpose of Pre-School is to teach children fundamental life skills and to prepare children for the activities and challenges that await them at school.
Pre-School
The adult led interactions are very closely monitored so that adults do not take over from the children’s self-directed learning, to ensure that their own intrinsic motivation can develop the executive functions which are so important in supporting children’s higher-level cognitive processes. These functions include planning and decision making, maintenance and manipulation of the information in their memories, the ability to shift flexibly from one task to another. Executive functions have been identified as critical predictors of success across a whole range of important outcomes, such as being ready for school and academic performance at school entry and life beyond school.
The curriculum is set out by EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) and covers all aspects of a child’s early stage of development. Alfresco Childcare offers government funded childcare - please ask to see our policy outlining how funding can be used and what it covers.
For a condensed summary of EYFS click here EYFS Full
The preschool children have their own preschool lodge, a stimulating indoor environment set up as a child friendly and relaxed classroom where the children do many of the indoor activities. The pre-schoolers also spend time in the garden and in the Forest. Many aspects of the EYFS are best covered through interacting with nature. We have a full-time Forest trained preschool leader.
EYFS Examples
The children do a wide variety of activities that cover all aspects of the EYFS, such as:
Physical Development
Communication and Language
Expressive Arts and Design
Moving and handling
The children lift move and place building materials such as logs
Listening and attention
Children need to listen to each other's construction ideasa nd are encouraged to do so
Speaking
Children need to communicate any ideas they have to others
Exploring and using materials
Children experiment with a number of natural and man-made materials used for base building
Being imaginative
Children use their own imagination to come up with ideas and designs
Bug Hunting
Mathematics
Communication and Language
Numbers
The children can count number of legs, number of wings etc, number of insects in total.
Understanding
Basic information about insect life and the natural environment is communicated to the children
Shape, space and measures
Compare shapes and sizes of insects
Physical Development
Moving and handling
The children learn small gentle movements to handle the insects. Fine movement.
Fire Lighting
Personal, social and emotional development
Self-confidence and self-awareness
In learning how to safelymaster an activity that can be both challenging and potentially hazardous a child can develop confidence
Child has to be very self-aware of their actions and interactions with fire and its potential dangers
Mathematics
Numbers
The children can count number sticks of different shapes and sizes
Shape, space and measures
Compare shapes and sizes of sticks
These examples are not by any means exhaustive
