Early Years

Early Years is where the wonderful learning journey at St Michael’s Prep School begins.

We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum which covers areas including: communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.

Nursery

Nursery children join our loving and nurturing team where they are provided with endless opportunities to develop and explore their independence, language, social skills and ideas. They have full access to our indoor and outdoor areas and develop creativity, imagination and critical thinking skills; all areas are equipped with high quality resources and furnishing, designed to stimulate. From the comfort of a close team, and personal key worker, your child has access to a range of carefully planned, play-based activities aimed at captivating them and developing their skills in all of learning areas.

Kindergarten

The Kindergarten classrooms and free-flow outside areas promote a calm, relaxed and harmonious atmosphere. Children have frequent opportunities to venture into the school’s woodland and grounds where they are encouraged to solve practical problems, work together and learn through discovery and exploration.

We promote our children’s natural curiosity through fun, play-based tasks which they can actively explore both independently and as part of a group. Children are encouraged to be independent, physically active and to think for themselves.

We have a topic-based approach to learning and this is expanded through the children’s own curiosity, interests, investigation and exploration.

Reception

Reception is a vibrant, happy and stimulating environment where children develop a love of learning to carry them forward through the Pre-Prep. Developing independence is endorsed by everything we do and our ‘can do’ attitude which this fosters has a big impact on the children’s academic learning. The EYFS curriculum is delivered through a topic-based approach which has each child’s individual needs and interests at the heart of it. 

Children are encouraged from an early age to take risks with their learning, to challenge themselves and to become critical thinkers in our warm and nurturing environment. Reception children attend a Forest School session every week. For more information about our Forest School, please click here.