What To Look for in an Early Years Seting
Choosing the right Early Years setting can be a stressful experience. There is a lot to think about and many options available. There are some helpful criteria to consider when reviewing potential nurseries, pre-schools or Early Years settings, some that you may not even be aware of.
Children develop quickly in the Early Years and their experiences up to age 5 have a major impact on their future life and education.
Specialist Staff
It is vitally important that the setting has appropriately qualified staff. Trained staff understand the theory behind child development, and so know how to look after your child’s needs.
With over 300 staff spread across the four schools, the Oak-Tree Group of Schools has a professional approach to the selection and on-going training of staff. We only employ staff of the highest calibre who share our vision and ethos, and all applicants go through a thorough selection process. Teachers in the Oak-Tree Group truly care for the children’s welfare. They enable the children to develop at their own pace with sufficient opportunities to support, stretch and challenge.
Our dedicated staff members show a passion for spending time with the children, pay attention to their individual needs and deal with any problems in a calm manner.
Curriculum and Activities
Even from a young age, children should be encouraged to try new experiences in a supportive environment. Activities should be planned for both inside and outside the classroom, and support language, mathematical thinking and imagination.
Activities in the Early Years of the Oak-Tree Group are broad and varied. We aim to encourage children’s social, creative, communication and listening skills, as well as physical and emotional development. Children learn through play and we also encourage child-led learning.
We encourage children to learn freely in a structured and stimulating environment. They are taught to listen to others and express their own ideas, and we place high emphasis on kindness, helpfulness, sharing, courtesy and respect for others.
In both Lower Kindergarten and Upper Kindergarten classes, pre-reading, writing and number activities are taught, and the children are helped to discover and investigate through art, craft and environmental activities.
Specialist teaching in a number of areas greatly enhances the curriculum. We use the seven areas of learning as the foundation and enrich the children’s experiences through a range of other activities including weekly Music and PE lessons together with assemblies, performances, trips and outings. Reception children also have French and ICT lessons. Children participate in learning sessions in our outside areas.
Groups spend the afternoons participating in creative activities designed to develop their imagination, curiosity and knowledge of the world around them. There are various after school clubs that extend the school day to help parents’ childcare needs.
Ratios, Class Sizes and Flexibility
In nursery and school settings, the small class sizes are very beneficial. Key workers talk to children about their learning and progress. This should be shared frequently with parents and carers. Small class sizes should mean a positive and productive relationship between staff and children. Children get to know each other quickly and easily, developing friendships that are supportive and caring, so they can enjoy time together.
Independent Kindergartens tend to offer smaller class sizes. Uniqueness can be celebrated and the individual needs of each and every pupil are considered. We keep our classes small and follow the statutory children to staff ratios, with additional staff available to support where required. Our Lower Kindergarten children attend a minimum of three sessions, and Upper Kindergarten children attend a minimum of five sessions, 3 of which should ideally be mornings. Lower and Upper Kindergarten have the option of staying for lunch and afternoon sessions. Many of our Early Years children start earlier with Breakfast Club or stay later with Teatime Club. Reception children attend five full days and are taught by a qualified teacher supported by a teaching assistant.
Health & Safety
Like most good childcare settings, the safety of our children, staff and visitors is vitally important. Our school has its own designated Health and Safety lead, who regularly meets with the Group Health and Safety Manager. There are regular site walks to ensure the safety and upkeep of the premise and regular fire drills. The Oak-Tree cleaning staff thoroughly clean the setting every day, and carry out deep cleans during the holidays. Our policies are all available to download from the school website.
Early Years FAQs
The children arrive to a selection of activities often linked to the topic that encourage fine motor development and social skills. During the course of the morning, the children may participate in specialist lessons, such as PE or Music. Number and literacy activities also take place. Topic and creative activities usually take place in the afternoons. All EYFS children experience weekly wild woods sessions in our own dedicated woodland area. A fresh fruit mid-morning snack and a child friendly lunch are provided.
Officially in Upper Kindergarten, but early skills begin in Lower Kindergarten with listening activities, rhyming games and fine motor skills activities – for example, dough disco, squirty bottles, threading and pegs.
In Upper Kindergarten, fine motor assessments are carried out to establish a child’s individual needs. Pre-writing patterns, pencil grip, letters and sounds programmes and RWInc are introduced.
An Early Year’s club runs in the main holidays and is organised by our EY staff and sometimes EY staff from other Oak-Tree Schools. It is held in Upper Kindergarten. Children in Upper Kindergarten also have the option to attend Multi Sports Club which runs every holiday.
The children receive a snack at morning breaktime with a drink of milk or water.
We have a wide range of food on offer at lunchtime freshly prepared by our Chef and his team. There is a daily choice of a hot main meal with a hot vegetarian alternative, together with a cold buffet that includes filled baguettes and a wide variety of salads. A daily pudding choice is available or plenty of fresh fruit and yoghurts.
There are many members of staff on duty to help children with their choice of food and to ensure that they eat a balanced meal. We always encourage children to try new food. Our team is used to catering for all dietary needs.
Parents have the opportunity each day to talk to the class teacher either in the morning or in the afternoon. We are very happy for parents to contact us to make a longer appointment if they need a more detailed conversation with the form teacher or a member of the senior team. The Headmistress is readily available to see parents about a variety of matters.
We have at least one formal communication with home each term, which takes the form of a short report, full report or parents’ meeting. There are regular newsletters and the website is always updated with information and news. We have a text messaging service and we email letters and news home. We also tweet our news!
There are termly drop-in mornings for Early Years, Infant and Junior parents to visit the classrooms and annual coffee mornings for all parents to chat with the Group Managing Principal and Headmistress about school.
Yes. We administer the Essex County Council Nursery Grant scheme on your behalf and apply the large discount to your termly fees. All children between the ages of 3 and 5 benefit.
Some companies provide their staff with Nursery Vouchers, which are a tax saving benefit for employees to use for nursery care. Although we cannot administer this scheme for you, we are registered with multiple schemes and apply these discounts to your termly fees.
Children start preparing to read from Upper Kindergarten using both the Letters and Sounds and RWInc schemes. Please do not worry if your child is not at the same level as their friends as at this early age all children develop at very different rates.
In Reception, children start to take home picture books to describe to their parents and make up their own stories. Once the children have learned their sounds and are confident at recognising them, reading books with words are sent home with word recognition sheets.
Our staff will always be happy to discuss your child’s learning programme with you. Timetables and information letters are sent home regularly to keep you informed about the topics and your child’s work. Evidence is kept in each child’s personal portfolio and they also have books and folders that you will be able to look at regularly.
Staff may also direct you to the Department for Education website for further information about Early Years education and how you can support this at home.
There is regular contact with your child’s key person. Before your child joins Lower Kindergarten, Upper Kindergarten, Reception you will be invited into school to meet staff including the Head of Early Years and your child’s key person/teacher. In addition, staff will spend some time with you finding out more about your child and giving you time to share information with us.
Once your son or daughter begins school, there are daily opportunities to meet and talk to the key person and other members of the team. There are special parents’ meetings for specific discussion on how your child is progressing, and many opportunities for parents to be invited into school for informal meetings with staff and other parents.