We follow the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) promoting teaching and learning to ensure children are school ready. We combine this with our Montessori teaching methods.
There are seven Areas of Learning and Development:
Personal Social and Emotional Development will involve Practical Life Exercises, which teaches important life skills, courtesy, self confidence, relationships and managing feelings and behaviour.
Communication and Language will develop children’s listening and attention skills as well as understanding and speaking skills through activities we provide, this will also involve the use of Montessori techniques.
Physical Development is important for a child’s well being developing moving, handling, health and self-care. We aim not just to develop gross and fine motor movement but to promote a healthy life-style. We have a large garden which is used for regular play times and a spacious hall that we use for meal times as well as educational purposes. Practical Life activities provide exercises to develop fine motor movement whilst outdoor and indoor activities develop gross motor movement, including balancing, jumping and low level climbing games.
Literacy: Literacy is included in all activities as well as listening to stories, singing and rhyming. Literacy also includes writing beginning with mark-making and gradually progressing to forming numbers, letters and encoding which leads to reading.
Mathematics: Includes learning about numbers, shapes, space and measure. We include in all activities items that children are familiar with as well as Montessori equipment.
Understanding of the world: Children will learn about People and Communities, the world and Technology. This will be taught through Cultural studies, which include History, Biology, Geography. It is important for children to understand that there are countries, continents and cultures other than their own. This is taught through monthly projects and the use of Montessori apparatus.
Expressive Arts and Design: This involves children exploring a variety of media and materials and being imaginative.
Assessment is through observations and what children are able to do. Observations are used to plan activities based on their interests and developmental requirements. A formal written report is produced annually.
ICT(Information and communications technology) is used to reinforce children’s learning in some of the areas above.
Pre-school children take part in Spanish lessons for half an hour per week. As a 2nd language is to be compulsory in primary schools, This is an important addition to our curriculum.
We have half an hour of dance each week for children aged 2-5. Please see www.aimhighacademy.co.uk for further information on the dance teacher Ms Hayley Rea and her classes.
We offer a weekly session of football for over 2’s provided by T10 Ltd ‘the home of sports coaching’ classes ensure more touches of the ball and help with skill and technique.
Weekly Sessions are offered by Backflip gymnastics, who have been working with schools since 2008.