At St Paul’s Preschool our vision is for every child to be recognised as an individual by identifying and respecting every child’s uniqueness and creating an inclusive environment. Fundamental British Values are at the heart of our curriculum and everything we do; we teach children love and respect and we show them that their voice and interests are very important to us.

We have created an environment that promotes independence, and all children feel valued and respected. We are a catholic preschool, but we celebrate a wide range of different religious festivals. We endeavour to give the children the Cultural Capital they need for future success. Children will learn about and explore the local area and know how they fit into their local community.

Children will experience the seven areas of learning through a balance of whole structured group teaching and play based learning. Our learning opportunities are carefully planned by the staff and are based on the observations and interest of the children. We deliver an ambitious curriculum that provides challenging experiences and includes all children.

We encourage a love of reading with regular visits to the library. We have a core reading and rhyme spine and aim for children to know at least eight nursery rhymes by the time they leave our preschool. We also intend for every child to become a member of the local library and to develop a positive lifelong attitude to reading.

Our curriculum planning includes the voice of the children, and our practitioners ensure that our children’s next steps and individual stages of development are incorporated. The children have ownership over their environment and learning and we ensure that the curriculum is accessible for all our children.

We know our children very well and can adapt activities to follow their interest. We have very high expectations and children are encouraged to recognise their own names, say the initial sound and discuss the ways in which we look after ourselves, each other and the pre-school environment.

We understand the importance of identifying and celebrating any additional needs a child might have. We adapt our practices to ensure all children are included, this can often include; the use of visuals, targeted speech and language activities and strategies to help with self-regulation.

Our environment promotes children’s independence, roles and responsibilities. Each child has a ‘job’ to do or a role for the day. The children cut their own fruit at snack time and wash their own pots. They build strong relationships with each other and staff and learn how to work as a team.

We have strong links with parents and families. Before the child starts preschool, we offer settling in sessions with parents. The designated key person will be introduced, the child will have opportunity to get to know them and parents can discuss their child’s development, needs and interests. After three weeks the key person will produce an entry report and meet with the parents for a short discussion.

We regularly discuss with parents their child’s progress and next steps. We share electronic learning journeys and encourage two-way communication so parents can share achievements at home. We have Home-link books which the children take home weekly with short tasks to complete. We also encourage parents to share achievements and any relevant information in this book.

We hold regular family lunches and assemblies. Parents are invited for stay and play sessions afterwards. There is always the opportunity for a chat with their child’s key person.

We work closely with St Paul’s Primary School to ensure the children have a smooth transition into school. In the summer term children attend the school assemblies, they visit for lunch in the school hall and reception teachers organise stay and play sessions with the key person. The children also share an outdoor learning space with reception so the children can become familiar with the reception staff.

We value the importance of children’s well-being and use zones of regulation, breathing techniques and yoga to encourage the children to manage their own emotions.

Our broad and balanced curriculum design ensures that the needs of individual children including those with English as a second language and those with a special educational need or disability can be met with the environment. High quality teaching, supported by targeted interventions where needed, ensure all children receive the personalised curriculum they need in order to make progress.

Evidence of children’s learning observations, work samples, photographs and contributions from parents are kept in ‘learning journals’. Our high standards of progress and achievement are driven by an enriched curriculum, enabling environment, and rigorous assessment process.

We endeavour for pupils to be Reception ready and prepare for the next phase at primary school. We consistently receive positive feedback from feeder schools and parents about how our children are ‘school ready’ when they make the transition to primary school.

The impact of our curriculum will also, in fact, be measured by how effectively it helps our pupils develop into well rounded individuals who embody our values and carry with them the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will make them lifelong learners and valuable future citizens.