Great Bowden Pre-School  |  Church Hall  |  Dingley Road  |  Market Harborough  |  Leicestershire  |  LE16 7ET

Tel: 07790470411     Email: greatbowdenpre-school@hotmail.co.uk     UK Charity: 1039424

  © Great Bowden Pre-School 2019

Curriculum

Within the group, all children are supported in developing their potential at their own pace.  Our key-worker system enables us to ensure a planned curriculum tailored to the needs of each individual child.  By means of developmentally appropriate play activities and a high level of individual adult input, we offer a curriculum which leads to nationally approved learning outcomes and prepares children to progress with confidence to the National Curriculum at the age of five.

Communication Language and Literacy:

In both small and large groups, children are encouraged to extend their vocabulary and fluency by talking and listening, by hearing and responding to stories, songs and rhymes.  Children are helped to understand that written symbols carry meaning, and they are encouraged to express themselves in writing and pictures.  Materials and equipment, including posters around the room provide for this purpose.  We also provide a well-stocked book corner with a variety of fiction and non fiction texts for the children to use.

Expressive Arts and Design:

Children are encouraged to use a wide range of resources in order to express their own ideas and feeling and to construct their individual response to experience in two and three dimensions.  Art equipment including paint, glue, crayons and pencils as well as natural and discarded resources, provides for open ended exploration of colour, shape and texture and the development of skills in painting drawing and collage.  Children join in with and respond to music and stories, and there are many opportunities for imaginative role play, both individual and as a group.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development:

Within a nurturing environment children are individually supported in developing confidence, independence and self-respect.  They are encouraged to work and concentrate independently and also to take part in the life of the group, sharing and co-operating with other children and adults.  Through activities, conversation and practical example, they learn acceptable ways to express their own feelings and to have respect for the feelings of others.  All children are given the opportunity, as appropriate, to take responsibility for themselves and also for the group, its members and its property.

Physical Development:

A range of equipment and opportunities both inside and outside, allows children to develop confidence and enjoyment in the use and development of their own bodily skills.  A very high level of adult supervision enables children to create and meet physical challenges, safely developing increasing skills and control in moving, climbing and balancing.  At the same time children are supported in the development of the fine motor skills required to use tools, including pens and pencils, and to handle small objects with increasing control and precision.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World:

A safe and stimulating environment allows children to explore and experiment with a range of natural and manufactured materials.  They learn to observe objects and substances, recognising differences, patterns and similarities, and to share and record their findings.  Children are assisted in exploring and understanding their environment, both within the group and also in the wider community.  A range of safe well-maintained equipment enables children to extend their technological understanding using simple tools and techniques as appropriate to achieve their intentions and to solve problems.

Mathematics:

By means of adult supported practical experience, children become familiar with sorting, matching, ordering, sequencing and counting activities that form the basis for early mathematics.  As they use their developing mathematical understanding to solve practical problems, children are assisted to learn and use the vocabulary of mathematics, identifying objects by shape, position, size, volume and number.  Songs games and picture books help children become aware of number sequences and when they are ready, to use simple mathematical operations such as adding.