St John's School Nursery & Pre-Preparatory

Pre-Reception offers a welcoming learning environment where children are encouraged to be creative and curious through personalised learning activities. The Garden Room can accommodate up to 16 children with 1 member of staff for every 4 children and the Orchard Room offers provision for up to 32 children with 1 member of staff per 8 children.

Children can attend Pre-Reception from the moment they are two years of age. With a minimum of two morning sessions per week, they offer morning only sessions (8.45am to 12.15pm), full (school) day sessions (8.45am to 3.10pm) or extended day sessions (8am to 6pm).   This offers great flexibility to suit families with busy lifestyles.

The highly qualified and well-motivated staff build close relationships with children and parents and operate an open-door policy. Pre-Reception Staff use Tapestry to record children's progress, highlighting their learning goals and achievements. Reports are issued regularly and there are two 'face to face' parents’ evenings every academic year.

During a session, children will be offered a variety of activities with themed topics linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. The Garden Room (for children aged 2 to 3 years) focuses on the three main prime EYFS areas; Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development (Gross and fine motor skills). The Orchard Room (for children aged 3 to 4 years) continues to develop the three prime areas already mentioned along with Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

Pre-Reception have specialist lessons with the PE and Games Department on a twice weekly basis and have access to the Forest School on site. Once settled in Pre-Reception, parents are reassured that their children will progress in a familiar environment as they continue their learning journey into Reception and beyond.