Pre-School

SPARK THEIR CURIOSITY 

Catering for boys and girls from the September after their second birthday, our aim is to give our Pre-School children the very best start to their education by providing a full and varied curriculum within a happy, stimulating and secure environment guided by our well-qualified staff.

At the end of his or her time at the Pre-School, we expect your child to be curious, independent and confident, with a clear sense of right and wrong, a well developed sense of fun, and a hunger for learning.

Don't hesitate, it is the most fantastic environment for your child. Junior School Parent

The Pre-School provides a structured and stimulating environment, giving our children their first taste of school life. The curriculum is play-based and children are actively involved in talking about their experiences, sharing their ideas, learning both co-operatively and independently and celebrating their achievements with their friends and teachers. 

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START THEIR LEARNING JOURNEY 

The Pre-School children follow the foundation stage curriculum, which fosters essential skills and attitudes for their future learning.  The building blocks for reading come from activities that encourage matching and pattern recognition: jigsaws, threading beads, and matching games go alongside listening to and enjoying books and stories and learning rhymes and songs. Soon, the children recognise familiar letters, including those in their own name. Music, yoga and drama are taught by our Pre-School team and give our children many chances to be active and inspired. Our Pre-School includes:

  • Purpose built indoor and outdoor facilities encourage structured learning while having fun.
  • A warm family atmosphere and a focus on the individual.
  • Developing independent and confident children, working in partnership with parents.
  • A friendly and happy start to your child’s education.

To discover more about the Elizabeth College Pre-School please visit our College on Film page to view our short film: 'A Day in the Life | Pre-School'.

KEY INFORMATION

Our thriving Pre-School is situated on our Acorn House site, with its own secure entrance, accessible only via electronic entry.  Entry to Pre-School is keenly sought and our registration lists fill up quickly, so it is advisable to register children at an early age.

Please visit the Admissions page for details on how to register your child for Pre-School and the Fees page for information on fees.

The Pre-School consists of two ‘class rooms’; one for children aged 2-3 years and one pre-reception room for children aged 3-4 years.  Each room can accommodate 20 children per session.  Extra teaching spaces are available for the children and staff to use within the school.  They have access to the School Hall, where a two course cooked lunch is served daily for Pre-School children, and also the music and cookery rooms, as well as the School Library.  Each of the Pre-School rooms enable the children to have free-flow play, with access to an outdoor area at all times of the day.

At the Pre-School's most recent ISI Inspection it was noted that “Pupils in the early years show excellent independence and investigative skills”.

Pre-School staff are led by our Pre-School Curriculum leader, Anne Liu, and she has a Deputy as well as Room leaders.  All staff work closely with each other and assist in the planning of the daily programme.  The School’s early Years Foundation Stage Co-ordinator works closely with the Curriculum Leader throughout the year, delivering INSET training to all our Pre-School staff.  The Headteacher of Elizabeth College Junior School supports external training for all staff and is delighted that all of our Pre-School staff hold high level qualifications in childcare.  We adhere to the staff pupil ratios as laid down in the Early Years Quality Standards Framework.

Our Pre-School staff work hard to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS) to the children.  Activities are planned and resources are freely available.  Each child is allocated a Keyworker, who will work closely with their children and who will also liaise with their parents and carers.  The experiences that the children receive in Pre-School form the foundations on which future learning can be built.