Notices

MONDAY 6th FEBRUARY
SNOW - BUT WE ARE OPEN
AS USUAL
 
COMMITTEE MEETING
Thursday 9th February
 
SCHOOL CLOSED
Friday 10th February
 
Click here for Events/Calendar


SPRING Term 2012


Term begins: 4th January
Term ends: 29th March

Half Term: 13th - 17th February
 
Click here for 2011/12 Term Dates

A day in the life of Stepping Stone


  • Welcome - The session starts with staff on hand to welcome children and parents.
  • Planned Activities - We start with planned activities, usually messy play. These are adult led activities in small groups which cover all aspects of the early years foundation stage.
  • Register - We stop and tidy up in order to register; share some news and take part in some brain gym activity.
  • Initiated Play - Next, is child initiated play. Children have an opportunity to play and explore inside and outside according to their own interests. This includes physical challenges posed by the exciting outside play area.  At this time during the session, we also take part in 'large group' activities such as music, drama, French, woodwork, yoga or sewing (nursery children only).
  • French - A qualified French teacher joins us as we split the children into smaller groups for a session of songs and games designed to introduce children to the French language.
  • Wood-working and modelling - This gives a child an opportunity to experiment with different resources and explore the possibilities of construction on a bigger scale using ideas involving fitting, overlapping and joining as promoted in the early years foundation stage curriculum guidance
  • Drama -  Our drama expert, Angie Smith comes in to do a weekly session called 'Magic Carpet'. Angie is a teacher who has a passion for drama with young children and she uses this session to develop the children's imagination in a role play situation linking her activities to that of the curriculum thus highlighting the areas of communication, language and literacy as well as creative play.
  • Yoga - Our newest activity.  Sue Finch a highly regarded yoga teacher takes a class of fun yoga for our nursery children every Friday
  • Sewing - This activity is carried out on a one to one basis using a simple sewing machine or a needle and thread. It gives us an opportunity to explore and construct something unique to the child using traditional and modern materials and experiment with a diverse variety of textures.
  • Mat time - Mat time and white board work takes us up to snack and book time.
  • Snack time - "Good health in the early years helps to safeguard health and wellbeing throughout life" (The early year's foundation stage guidance. Dept for Education & Skills. 2007)

    We support and encourage the children here to be aware of the importance of staying healthy. As such, we have a policy of allowing the following at snack time: Rice cakes, Bread sticks, vegetables and fruit - dried of fresh. No nuts please as we have some children with serious allergies. We provide milk or water and you can provide juice if you wish. The staff are keen to set a positive example by eating healthily in front of the children thus leading by example.    

  • Outdoor Play - Then we all go out to play in our child friendly garden for free play and organised activities. We try to go outside, whatever the weather - unless it is very wet. Last year we had a lot of fun wrapped up warm and playing in the snow!
  • Stories & Singing - Then it's back in on the mat for stories and singing.
  • Finally it's Home time! (Where has the time gone?)