Summer Extravaganza 30 June 10am - 4pm come and see what we have to offer and join in with the fun and games 

Early Years Foundation Stage and Acorns Pre-School

Acorns curriculum supports The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework to ensure activities are appropriate for individual children's needs. More can be found on The Early Years Foundation Stage in our Curriculum area of the site.

The weekly planning covers all areas of learning and uses the whole of the Birch Farm complex including the playbarn, weather permitting walks around our 60 acres. We also have a selection of additional curriculum activities that can be added to your child's day. Jo Jingles is available from joining pre-school, Swimming lessons from 2½yrs and ballet from 2 yrs these are all at an additional fee and subject to availablity.

All of our pre-school rooms have a selection of learning areas all resourced with variety of materials that children can access themselves as well as activities laid out by staff.

The curriculum will be introduced through play using a combination of adult led and child initiated activities. Recent research has show this is the most appropriate way of supporting children's learning. Through play your child can develop, for example:  the confidence needed for learning; the social skills needed for personal development; and the skills needed for writing.  In that way your child will become more independent and will be able to tackle simple problems. 

We at Birch Farm believe that children's learning should be supported on an individual basis. We build on the children’s existing skills and interests, develop their play activities, to help them progress.  All children learn best from experiences that are suitable for their stage of development. To achieve this staff observe children on a daily basis and use these observations to inform their weekly planning sessions. In addition to general observations we also identify the schemas in which children are presently interested in. Schemas are patterns in children learning, children will have a dominate schema but will also develop skills through other schemas. In identifying children's schemas staff are able to tune into how individual children are learning and tailor activities to help them gain the most from them. To learn more about schemas [Click Here].

Children’s work is displayed and valued.  There are learning journeys to track progress, which you are welcome to view at parents evenings or on request.

SWIMMING:

The children have the opportunity (from the age of 2½) to swim within the curriculum for a small additional fee of £2.50 per week these are term time lessons and are subsidised by the nursery.  This is a fun, confidence building lesson, where the children attend on a 5:1 ratio with the trained swimming instructors from First Strokes swim school.  These are valuable stepping stones towards more formal swimming tuition. Please provide a NAMED costume, hat, hooded towel and arm bands (Birch Farm  hooded towels are available for a small fee of £2.50). Ask a member of the pre-school team for more details.

Jo Jingles:

Jo Jingles sessions are held on Tuesday mornings and pre-school children can attend lessons accompanied with a member of staff, lessons are £3.00per session and are booked termly. Again these sessions are subsidised by the nursery.

Ballet:

Ballet lessons are held in the barn dance studio on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, staff are able to take you children to these lessons and collect them afterwards if you wish them to attend.

LIBRARY:

Here at Birch Farm we have developed our own library. This contains a selection of books and games that children are able to borrow and explore at home with their parents and carers. Each child receives a diary that parents can can use to record their childs comments on books and games. Staff can build on these comments to help ensure planning is child focussed.

Children are able to exchange books with either staff or parents and a swop box is provided in  the pre-school rooms for children to place their book bags.

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Last modified: Sunday, 22. April 2012