Durston Pre-School
Where a lifelong love of learning begins...
The Durston Journey
Head of Early Years
Mrs A Cannon
Pupils are based in our brand-new Pre-School setting boasting our own intervention workspace, sensory areas and dedicated, creative facilities. The Pre-School prides itself on excellence. The Pre-School is made up of a team of three Qualified Teachers and two specialist Early Years assistants, whilst pupils are also taught by specialist teachers for Music and Sport. Pupils radiate confidence and leave Pre-School with a passion for learning.
With three intakes per academic year, the children are invited to join Pre-School at the start of the term after they have turned 3 years old. Throughout their time in Pre-School, pupils make impressive academic progress. The Pre-school routines, timings and lessons imitate the day of a Reception pupil, which further enables children to become ‘school ready’ for their Reception Year. The curriculum is enhanced by local trips and a weekly field lesson at our playing fields where we can explore all the wonderful natural resources at our fingertips.
On-going partnership between parents and the teaching staff in Pre-School are a priority. Each term, pupils are assigned a key worker whom the parents will get to know and speak with on a day-to-day basis regarding their child. Parents are often invited into the setting for special days and events such as stay-and-play days, and there is a daily message book for communication with staff, as well as regular online updates through our Blog and our observation and assessment app, Tapestry. Parents are welcome to meet with their child’s Key Worker, the Head of Pre-School or Head of Pre-Prep should the need arise.
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Pre-School 7 Areas of Learning
Expressive Art and Design
Pupils in Pre-School have continuous access to art activities within their indoor and outdoor provision each day. As the nature of the EYFS Curriculum is cross-curricular, opportunities for children to express themselves artistically is provided at any possible opportunity. We encourage children to express themselves through a variety of mediums and materials. Children have daily access to paint, colouring, drawing, cutting and sticking. Children are also encouraged to join in with adult-led Art tasks where they can learn new skills to further develop their creativity and fine motor skills.
Literacy
In Pre-School we focus on a love of books. Pupils in Pre-School are encouraged to develop the habit of engaging with stories by learning how to listen and answer questions, to begin to read by blending basic sounds and they have weekly library visits within the school. Comprehension skills are developed, and pupils are increasingly encouraged to talk about what they have listened to. A variety of genres are read, and all forms of writing are encouraged, through mark-making using different materials. Phonics is taught on a daily basis, and speaking and listening skills are developed across the curriculum and integrated into lessons with teachers incorporating role play, performance and other techniques to enhance the educational experience.
Physical Development – Gross Motor Skills
Pre-School has one PE session per week in the school playground adjoining the Pre-School. During these sessions, pupils have opportunities to learn about movement, and begin to understand, appreciate, and move their bodies whilst relating positively to others. This learning takes place as they engage in play, gymnastics, games, sport, and other exercise. Pupils begin to learn the skills required for the sports that they will participate in as they move through the school – football, rugby, hockey, tennis, netball and cricket.
UTW- Understanding the World
In Pre-School, the teaching and learning of UTW uses a cross curricular approach to introduce pupils to the subjects of History, Geography, Science and Religious Education. Lessons include practical in-class activities and experiments, multimedia resources and weekly use of the woodland area at Castlebar Field. As part of our Pre-School provision, a weekly ‘Curiosity Cube’ is set up, where objects linked to the topic are placed into a cube. This encourages children to ask questions, show curiosity and further enhance their knowledge of the world around them. To enhance learning and understanding, we go on a summer trip to Hounslow Urban Farm which allows pupils to explore and develop their knowledge of the wider world.
Children in Pre-School start to build their knowledge about the different religions. They may explore a theme and discover how it is represented in the main faiths, such as the different places of worship, rites of passage or festivals. A range of stories pertinent to the faiths are told, such as those related to Hanukkah or Diwali. This is further enhanced by our class cultural bag, where parents are invited to send a picture or object that is reflective of a tradition or celebration of their culture. We frequently share these with pupils to create an open, inclusive and celebratory dialogue. Where possible, parents of different faiths are invited into the classes to enlighten children about the different religious traditions.
Computer Science
In Pre-School we follow the whole school approach in integrating IT into the day-to-day activities of the pupils wherever appropriate. Even our youngest of pupils begin to understand the need for ICT and how to access it. Each day we set up an interactive Maths or Literacy activity on our interactive whiteboard for children to access. Within the Pre-School setting, we have a children’s desk and computer for children to use interactive Educational Games under the supervision of the teachers. The pupils learn to draw and write using the interactive whiteboard software and love being able to develop their IT skills. From this young age, a form of programming is introduced: giving digital instructions to Bee-Bots enables them to see those instructions played out physically.
Mathematics
Pre-School use the EYFS framework to integrate a mastery curriculum, which is further developed as the children progress through the school. The Maths Mastery approach makes it practical, engaging and visual, and brings maths to life. Making Mathematics as practical as possible is our main goal. When pupils are able to explain and reason, the abstract understanding of mathematical concepts begin to develop. The mathematical activities planned throughout the term have a practical focus using language. Throughout our Mathematics lessons, the teachers use interactive games on the computer, and we frequently use the interactive whiteboard to help further enhances the pupils mathematical and ICT skills.
Music
Children in Pre-School have two music lessons per week with a specialist Music Teacher. They are introduced to core musical elements, such as; pulse, rhythm, pitch, sound, tempo, and dynamics. Pre-School pupils have the opportunity to perform in their own Christmas nativity. Each day, the Pre-School pupils will sing nursery rhymes to help them learn days of the week, months of the year and mark other special times of the year.
PSED
In Pre-School, pupils will focus on 3 main themes: Health and Well-being of Yourself and Others, Relationships, and People of Past and Present. Within each theme pupils explore topics such as Self-esteem, Kindness and Confidence, Friendships and Playing Together, Bullying, and learning How to be Part of a Team. They learn about Personal Hygiene, Road Safety, How to Make Sensible Choices, Basic Democracy and Fairness, Stranger Danger and What to do in an Emergency. The curriculum is designed to be flexible and adapt to the needs of individual pupil, classes and cohorts. It aims to enrich and engage them by drawing upon personal experiences of the world around with the intent to scaffold their learning. PSHME is a dynamic and fluid subject area where we respond and listen to what is happening in pupils’ lives and prepare them to question, celebrate, understand and be an active participant within the ever-changing world around them.
Expressive Art and Design
Pupils in Pre-School have continuous access to art activities within their indoor and outdoor provision each day. As the nature of the EYFS Curriculum is cross-curricular, opportunities for children to express themselves artistically is provided at any possible opportunity. We encourage children to express themselves through a variety of mediums and materials. Children have daily access to paint, colouring, drawing, cutting and sticking. Children are also encouraged to join in with adult-led Art tasks where they can learn new skills to further develop their creativity and fine motor skills.
Literacy
In Pre-School we focus on a love of books. Pupils in Pre-School are encouraged to develop the habit of engaging with stories by learning how to listen and answer questions, to begin to read by blending basic sounds and they have weekly library visits within the school. Comprehension skills are developed, and pupils are increasingly encouraged to talk about what they have listened to. A variety of genres are read, and all forms of writing are encouraged, through mark-making using different materials. Phonics is taught on a daily basis, and speaking and listening skills are developed across the curriculum and integrated into lessons with teachers incorporating role play, performance and other techniques to enhance the educational experience.
Physical Development – Gross Motor Skills
Pre-School has one PE session per week in the school playground adjoining the Pre-School. During these sessions, pupils have opportunities to learn about movement, and begin to understand, appreciate, and move their bodies whilst relating positively to others. This learning takes place as they engage in play, gymnastics, games, sport, and other exercise. Pupils begin to learn the skills required for the sports that they will participate in as they move through the school – football, rugby, hockey, tennis, netball and cricket.
UTW- Understanding the World
In Pre-School, the teaching and learning of UTW uses a cross curricular approach to introduce pupils to the subjects of History, Geography, Science and Religious Education. Lessons include practical in-class activities and experiments, multimedia resources and weekly use of the woodland area at Castlebar Field. As part of our Pre-School provision, a weekly ‘Curiosity Cube’ is set up, where objects linked to the topic are placed into a cube. This encourages children to ask questions, show curiosity and further enhance their knowledge of the world around them. To enhance learning and understanding, we go on a summer trip to Hounslow Urban Farm which allows pupils to explore and develop their knowledge of the wider world.
Children in Pre-School start to build their knowledge about the different religions. They may explore a theme and discover how it is represented in the main faiths, such as the different places of worship, rites of passage or festivals. A range of stories pertinent to the faiths are told, such as those related to Hanukkah or Diwali. This is further enhanced by our class cultural bag, where parents are invited to send a picture or object that is reflective of a tradition or celebration of their culture. We frequently share these with pupils to create an open, inclusive and celebratory dialogue. Where possible, parents of different faiths are invited into the classes to enlighten children about the different religious traditions.
Computer Science
In Pre-School we follow the whole school approach in integrating IT into the day-to-day activities of the pupils wherever appropriate. Even our youngest of pupils begin to understand the need for ICT and how to access it. Each day we set up an interactive Maths or Literacy activity on our interactive whiteboard for children to access. Within the Pre-School setting, we have a children’s desk and computer for children to use interactive Educational Games under the supervision of the teachers. The pupils learn to draw and write using the interactive whiteboard software and love being able to develop their IT skills. From this young age, a form of programming is introduced: giving digital instructions to Bee-Bots enables them to see those instructions played out physically.
Mathematics
Pre-School use the EYFS framework to integrate a mastery curriculum, which is further developed as the children progress through the school. The Maths Mastery approach makes it practical, engaging and visual, and brings maths to life. Making Mathematics as practical as possible is our main goal. When pupils are able to explain and reason, the abstract understanding of mathematical concepts begin to develop. The mathematical activities planned throughout the term have a practical focus using language. Throughout our Mathematics lessons, the teachers use interactive games on the computer, and we frequently use the interactive whiteboard to help further enhances the pupils mathematical and ICT skills.
Music
Children in Pre-School have two music lessons per week with a specialist Music Teacher. They are introduced to core musical elements, such as; pulse, rhythm, pitch, sound, tempo, and dynamics. Pre-School pupils have the opportunity to perform in their own Christmas nativity. Each day, the Pre-School pupils will sing nursery rhymes to help them learn days of the week, months of the year and mark other special times of the year.
PSED
In Pre-School, pupils will focus on 3 main themes: Health and Well-being of Yourself and Others, Relationships, and People of Past and Present. Within each theme pupils explore topics such as Self-esteem, Kindness and Confidence, Friendships and Playing Together, Bullying, and learning How to be Part of a Team. They learn about Personal Hygiene, Road Safety, How to Make Sensible Choices, Basic Democracy and Fairness, Stranger Danger and What to do in an Emergency. The curriculum is designed to be flexible and adapt to the needs of individual pupil, classes and cohorts. It aims to enrich and engage them by drawing upon personal experiences of the world around with the intent to scaffold their learning. PSHME is a dynamic and fluid subject area where we respond and listen to what is happening in pupils’ lives and prepare them to question, celebrate, understand and be an active participant within the ever-changing world around them.