Owls

Our highly experienced and dedicated staff work with our Owl children to prepare them for the next chapter in their education at school. The Owl team is led by Juliet, a qualified teacher with 20 years experience of teaching.

In Owls the children are encouraged and supported in developing skills in socialising, turn taking, risk taking, adapting to new approaches and problem solving which in turn helps them to develop confidence and self-belief. We do all that we can to help prepare our little Owls for the world beyond Nursery.

The children in Owls use the woodlands on a daily basis. They enjoy exploring, climbing, playing and taking part in planned activities in all areas of the grounds. The door to the garden is always open for the children to have a free range of activities inside and out. The children choose their own activities which are reflected in our plan-do-review approach to learning with the adults supporting the children to extend their learning to the next level. The children have the opportunity to work in small adult led groups to focus on specific areas of the EYFS. They also have the opportunity to freely express themselves through heuristic play which ensures open ended ‘play’ that allow the children to use their imagination. The creative table offers an array of different materials for the children to explore and create masterpieces.

As well as forest school activities, we offer a beach School session when the children are taken to the beach at Eastbourne where we have a chalet. They love using the nets and magnifying glasses to explore their surroundings, often bringing back to Nursery some of their finds to add to the nature table and continue their learning. Extra curriculum activities change termly to suit the seasons and to meet the needs and interests of the children. These currently include Little Rugby, Funtime French and Diddi Dance.

Getting Ready for School

We have a fantastic rapport with the local primary schools and work closely with the reception teachers to provide a smooth transition into school. The reception teachers will visit the children in Preschool, once places have been allocated.

The children are encouraged to be independent so that when the time comes they are as ready as they could possibly for school. As part of the transition process the children will engage in a number of activities aimed at supporting them through this process. School uniforms donated by the schools are used in role play as well as a ‘Moving On’ display where photos of their new schools, classrooms and teachers will be displayed.