Pre School

The Pre-School follows the Early Years curriculum in which the boys learn though play and exploration. 

Pre-School is a kind and caring environment in which a real sense of community is formed. The boys develop a sense of acceptance and are taught to recognise similarities, celebrate differences and form meaningful relationships with others. Parents are frequently invited into the classroom to talk about their professions, cultures and experiences and to further enhance their learning experience.

Our Pre-School gives the boys a positive and exciting start to their educational journey, providing the support, encouragement and sufficient challenges needed; in order to instill in them the importance of ‘having a go’, trying new things and developing an understanding that making mistakes is a natural and integral part of learning.

The large adult to child ratio provides the boys with the opportunity to engage in small group activities as well as one to one teaching.  

The Pre-School classroom is extremely fortunate to have access to a newly refurbished outdoor provision which enables the boys to move freely between both the indoor and outdoor learning environments. The boys also participate in outdoor learning every week allowing them to develop their gross motor skills, risk taking, self confidence and fully interact with their natural environment.   The development of independence is a key focus in Pre-School where the boys are encouraged to take responsibility for their own self-care and belongings.

The boys begin their journey towards becoming competent readers and writers. We follow the Read, Write Inc. scheme in which the boys are introduced to a new sound weekly and these are embedded and practised though exciting games and activities. Mathematics is taught using the Ten Town scheme and boys learn to recognise and use numbers appropriately for tasks.

As part of the APS curriculum, the boys in Pre-School are lucky enough to receive weekly lessons in  Music, Spanish, Art, Games, Yoga and Drama which are all taught by specialist teachers. 

In addition to academic subjects, the boys are supported in developing their Personal, Social and Emotional skills though the Jigsaw scheme. This provides them with the opportunity to talk about their thoughts, feelings and develop the APS seven character strengths. From September 2024, as part of our commitment to holistic education, APS is excited to introduce our new 48 week provision, catering for Pre-School and Reception boys. This initiative ensures continuity in learning and support beyond term time.

 

Miss Ella Shaw

Pre-School Teacher

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