Mountain Room
Mountain Room: time to aim high, explore and discover!
The children in our Mountain Room really focus on their ‘Sense of Self’, supported by qualified staff who will provide a wide variety of play-based educational tasks and activities to challenge each individual child to climb their own unique mountains, eventually preparing them for their transition to school.
We believe in the importance of children learning through play-based opportunities, which reflect their interests leading through to some more structured tasks.
Children are greeted by Key Carers, before hanging their belongings on their pegs and entering their classroom.
They enjoy welcome Circle Times before embarking on different activities throughout the day, and the ability to easily access both the Garden and Front Playground.
Please note: children in their final Pre-School year are expected to attend for sessions of at least School Day length, in order to prepare them for the longer days when they transition on to School. Morning or Afternoon-only sessions are therefore ONLY available if they do a minimum of two other School-length days.
MOVING TO THE MOUNTAIN ROOM: What is new?
TOILET TRAINING: We will work closely with you as soon as your child shows any interest in toilet training and like to liaise regularly to keep in touch with how things are progressing.
REST AND SLEEP: All children enjoy a period of Quiet Time after lunch – even those who do not sleep, for we are aware that Nursery is an extremely stimulating place. Children relax in the Quiet Room, where they choose a pillow and snuggle up. They may watch an approved DVD for 15 minutes, before this is switched off and changed to soothing music. When they are ready to wake, children are offered a drink of water and time to re-engage, before heading outside for some fresh air.
SHOES: Children do not wear their shoes in Class and are invited to bring their wellies, especially in the cold and wet weather, to wear outside (aiding their independence). We spend lots of time outdoors so please remember to bring a warm coat with them together with named hats, gloves/mittens and scarves when it is very cold.
The children in their final Pre-School year also benefit from a range of different opportunities, in order to aid in their transition to School. These include (but are not limited to!)
PHONICS SESSIONS: We will introduce our ‘Sound of the Week’, whereby we focus on a weekly letter, and invite children to bring an object beginning with this letter sound to place onto the Sound Tray for us to talk about during our daily Phonics Sessions. We follow the Letters and Sounds Programme and introduce Jolly Phonics Stories and Songs.
MATHEMATICS: We use the Boo Zoo Maths Programme and Numicon resources, which introduce the children to all the mathematical concepts within the EYFS in a fun, informative and interesting way, enabling us to vary the levels tackled to meet the different stages of development and understanding of each of the children.
OUTINGS: In order to extend the children’s experiences we organise outings to different places such as Garden Centres, the Library and Farm Parks.
PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE: During the course of this year, we will be quietly preparing for your child for school. All the basic skills of being able to share, take turns, tolerate each other and respond as part of a class will make a big difference and help them to settle. Independence is another great skill, being able to get dressed and undressed on their own, put on their own coats and shoes etc
TRANSITION TO SCHOOL: Once you find out which School your child will attend when they leave Nursery, we begin the process of ensuring they have the smoothest transition possible. Reception Teachers are invited to the Nursery to meet with their new cohorts, and a Starting School Display board is created. We create Transition to School checks which are then shared with the child’s Reception Teacher.