Welcome to our Early Years page. Please scroll down to find out everything you might need to know about our wonderful Pre-School and our amazing Reception year. Further information about the Early Years curriculum can be found by clicking the link below.

To see what the children in the Early Years have been learning, please click the link to our weekly blog below:

Welcome to our Pre-School!

Our fantastic Pre-School offer up to 30 hours funded childcare from 8.30am until 2.30pm every day during term time. It is also possible for families who do not qualify for 30 hours funding to purchase afternoon sessions (11.30am - 2.30pm) in addition to the morning sessions. This is to be paid in advance and is non-refundable if your child is absent. There is also an option, for just £3.00, for your child to stay until 3.15pm.

We offer several options:

Option 1 (part time):

5 morning sessions a week - 8.30am - 11.30am

Option 2 (part time)

5 morning sessions per week (8.30am - 11.30am) and staying for lunch (11.30am - 12.15pm) at a cost of £3.00 per day. Children are required to bring in a home packed lunch.

Option 3: (part time)

5 afternoon sessions per week (12.15pm - 3.15pm)

Option 4 (full time)

5 morning and afternoon sessions per week (8.30am - 2.30pm). Children are required to bring in a home packed lunch. If families are not entitled to 30 hours funded childcare, these sessions can be purchased for £15 per day.

Option 5: (full time +45)

5 morning and afternoon sessions per week (8.30am - 2.30pm). Children are required to bring in a home packed lunch. An extra 45 minute session (until 3.15pm) can be purchased at a cost of £3.00 per day.

For more information about 30 hours Extended Entitlement or to check if you are eligible, please visit the Childcare Choices website by clicking the link below:

We are very proud of our wonderful Pre-School!  Our children and families are made very welcome and we hope it marks the start of a long and happy educational experience at Cliftonville Primary and Pre-School School.

We provide a high quality education where young children can investigate and explore a well-planned, imaginative and challenging environment both indoors and outside, where they are encouraged to grow and develop at their own pace and where every day is varied, stimulating exciting and above all . . FUN!! We aim to provide carefully planned, fun-filled learning activities which are based on our professional knowledge of how young children learn. Such activities will meet the individual needs of your child to learn, experiment, make progress and develop - emotionally, socially, academically and physically.  There is a key focus on literacy skills including speaking and listening and, as they are ready, learning phonics for reading.  From January 2023, we are offering up to 30 hours childcare with 26 spaces at one time.
 

If your child turns 3 by this September and you would like to visit the Pre-School, please make an appointment through the main school office (01843 227575).  We would love you to see us in action!

A little bit about us...

We are an amazing Pre-School that caters for 26 happy and eager-to-learn children. Our Pre-School is run by a dedicated team of staff with Mrs Tuffs at the helm. Miss Brown and Mrs Milham are all here to support your child and their development during their time with us.

A typical session in the Pre-School:

Child initiated play: When the children arrive at Pre-School, they select an activity of their own choice such as painting, paper and pencil activities, cutting and sticking, role play, sand and water or puzzles for example. Staff members welcome the children and settle them at an activity.

Hello time: Children come to the carpet to take the register,  greet each other and find out what they will be learning that day. It's also a great time to recap on our days of the week and the weather in our Maths Medley.

Teacher input: Mrs Tuffs will deliver a short burst teaching input to the children before they make their way to group time with their Key Person. This could be a Letters and Sounds, number or shape activity for example. 

Group time: Each child has a dedicated Key Person and this group time is used for a more structured activitiy led by this adult that will link to the teacher input. We also have snack time in our groups to encourage social interaction and independence. 

Child initiated time: Children can choose activities indoors or outside in the garden. Outside we have a fantastic play area to promote physical development, a range of bikes and trikes, as well as gardening, sport and reading and writing areas.

Story time: The children love listening to a range of stories which helps to increase their attention and improve recall skills as well as providing opportunities to join in repeating patterns and enhance vocabulary.

Home time: Every session is finished off by coming together to sing the 'goodbye song'. The children review what they have been doing today and think about what they'd like to do tomorrow.

For those children staying on into the afternoon...lunch is a social occasion in which Pre-School staff and children participate. During this time children develop their independence skills - e.g. washing their hands, making choices and feeding themselves, and good manners - "please" and "thankyou" - as well as conversations are encouraged. 

The afternoon session provides the opportunity for the children to continue their learning through child-initiated play. For those who attend in the afternoon only, the routine of the morning will be broadly followed. For some, there will be more focused learning, for example circle time games for EAL children, as well as other fun activities such as cooking or creating props for our role play area. 

Of course, being outside in the fresh air is crucial for children and in warmer weather we spend as much time as possible in our beautiful, well resourced outside area! Here, there will be opportunities to join in gardening, playing in the sandpit or with the cars and trikes. Learning through play freely in this way is crucial for children's learning. Not only are they able to move freely but they gain all-important social skills, physical skills and also confidence as they challenge themselves in their learning. 

After snack time, all children are encouraged to tidy up the Pre-School and then we all come together for a story on the carpet which reflects our termly theme. Independence skills are encouraged with the children finding their own coats and bags, before we join in our goodbye song and review everything we have done during the session. 

The Pre-School is very much part of the main school and has access to the main facilities such as the halls for PE sessions, Forest School, the school field and the library.

Every Wednesday, we are lucky to have Miss Georgia, a professional dance teacher, to come into Pre-School to take the children for a fantastic dance session. The children (and adults) absolutely love moving to the music and being really creative. Not only does this really help the children in their physical development but has really supported their developing confidence and social skills. 

On a Thursday, the children come into school in their outdoor clothes and spend the morning in our fabulous Forest School. This is a wonderful opportunity to get some fresh air in their lungs, explore nature and develop their language and social skills as well as our school values of Independence, Respect, Enjoying Learning, Aspiration, Resilience, Community Unity and Safe and Settled.

Pre-Schoolers take part in whole school themed days such as Children in Need and Number Day and have their very own Pirate Day where they spend part of the day searching the school grounds for the missing treasure. Children also have access to a full time SENCo and a specialist Speech Therapy teaching assistant.

What do our parents think?

'Alfie loves nursery so much and is always happy to express his day to us on what he as done daily'.

'I am so pleased with the progress Daisha has made, especially only being here a short while. She’s loved every day and will definitely miss all the staff'.

'I’m so pleased with Imogen’s progress. She is so happy and has progressed so well. Thank you all!'

'Ciara has enjoyed her time here. Her confidence has grown loads. She adores Miss Brown. She has learnt a lot, made loads of mates. I’m glad I put her in this nursery.'

'My child is happy and excited every day to come to pre-school. He feels safe and considers pre-school his home, although he is spending only 3 hours there. Thank you very much for your great effort.'

'I like how welcoming all the teachers are and how much Reggie has learned. He loves being able to see his friends and singing nursery rhymes. I’m very happy with everything this year.'

'Approachable, friendly staff; personal touches – really thoughtful ladies e.g. dinosaur stickers/cards sent in lockdown. The ladies make it really fun for the children and appear passionate about it. Charlie says “Nursery makes me happy because I like the dinosaurs and my friends!” We can’t think of anything to improve on. We have been really impressed with how Charlie has done and the great experience he has had this year!'

'Mrs Tuffs is an amazing teacher and has helped my daughter Kaycee. Kaycee loves her teachers and friends.'

We like the playing areas and professionalism of the Cliftonville team. My child like to meet with friends and play.

'The school is excellent; all the teaching staff are friendly and kind. A very good environment for children’s’ progress. My child is always happy and enthusiastically wakes up every morning to get ready for school as she really enjoys all the activities.'

'We like the playing areas and professionalism of the Cliftonville team. My child like to meet with friends and play. The school is excellent; all the teaching staff are friendly and kind. A very good environment for children’s’ progress. My child is always happy and enthusiastically wakes up every morning to get ready for school as she really enjoys all the activities.'

Admissions for a place in year R in September

Unfortunately, gaining a place in our Pre-School does not automatically mean you will be offered a place in our Reception classes. You are encouraged to apply for school places online at:

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/primary-school-places#tab-4

We will be happy to support you in completing your school application.

If you are looking for a Pre-School place and your child will be 3 by August 31st, take a look at our advert.

Welcome to the Foundation Stage (Year R)

At Cliftonville Primary and Pre-School our children in Reception year follow the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage).

Children follow the EYFS framework from birth to 5 years old and all professionals (nurseries, child-minders, teachers etc.) use this framework to plan for children’s next steps and support their holistic development.

The EYFS is a very important stage for children as it helps prepare them for more formal teaching and lifelong learning. Children’s early years’ experience should be a happy, active, exciting, fun and safe time which enables every individual child to achieve their full potential.

Here at Cliftonville, we aim to ensure that all children learn by ‘doing’ and leave Reception their year with a love of learning and feeling safe and excited by the opportunities that learning offers.

The EYFS ensures that children learn new skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development.

There are 3 prime areas which are:

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional development

The prime areas help children to develop skills in 4 specific areas.

These are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

The 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. The teachers and teaching assistants make sure the activities are suited to each child’s needs. Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and out. We sustain high standards of achievement through careful planning, continuous assessment and tracking of children’s learning. This ongoing process enables us to build a picture of all aspects of each child's development. We believe in creating a colourful, rich, challenging and fun learning environment.  If children are happy they will want to learn. We have high expectations for all our children and do everything possible to allow them to fulfil their potential.

We believe that children should have regular access to outside learning opportunities. The use of the outdoor environment compliments and extends the learning which takes place indoors. The outside environment can offer unique opportunities for learning and the children have more space to move freely which is crucial for their physical development, social and emotional development. At Cliftonville Primary we have a secure designated outdoor area for our Reception children. Each day there will be a variety of activities set up outside for the children to explore and develop their learning. The areas will be well resourced and there will be systems in place ensuring equal access for all children to this area. The children also have supervised access to other outdoor facilities on the school site including the Forest School, playing field, courtyard and playground for trucks and trikes.

Our Aims:

• To provide a secure, caring and stimulating environment
• To ensure that all children are valued
• To build on what the child already knows and to encourage a positive attitude and enjoyment of learning.
• To provide a range of opportunities to learn through direct first-hand experience and active exploration, in the classroom and outdoors, using a variety of equipment and materials.
• To value the role families can play and work together in partnership.

How do we do this?

We want children to be engaged in the learning process and for their learning to be relevant and purposeful. Therefore, our philosophy is centered around the notion that children learn best by doing. We believe that play, both indoors and outdoors, is an ideal vehicle for young children’s learning. Play helps children to be challenged in their thinking and helps them to practice and rehearse skills and to be motivated in their learning. Children are inquisitive and curious and we wish to build upon this in a positive and enjoyable manner.

Learning opportunities are developed:

• Through play which is structured at times to enable new skills to develop
• Through children’s interests noted by staff and suggestions from parents
• Through allowing children to make their own decisions and choices
• Through providing a range of stimulating resources that children are encouraged to explore freely and through direction from staff
• Through incorporating drama and role-play into sessions
• Through catering for different learning styles and needs so that all children are engaged.
• Through offering very high quality pastoral care so that children feel confident, valued secure.

How do we do this?

We want children to be engaged in the learning process and for their learning to be relevant and purposeful. Therefore, our philosophy is centered around the notion that children learn best by doing. We believe that play, both indoors and outdoors, is an ideal vehicle for young children’s learning. Play helps children to be challenged in their thinking and helps them to practice and rehearse skills and to be motivated in their learning. Children are inquisitive and curious and we wish to build upon this in a positive and enjoyable manner.

Outside Learning

We believe that children should have regular access to outside learning opportunities. The use of the outdoor environment compliments and extends the learning which takes place indoors. The outside environment can offer unique opportunities for learning and the children have more space to move freely which is crucial for their physical development, social and emotional development.

At Cliftonville Primary we have a secure designated outdoor area for our Reception children. Each day there will be a variety of activities set up outside for the children to explore and develop their learning. The areas will be well resourced and there will be systems in place ensuring equal access for all children to this area. The children also have

supervised access to other outdoor facilities on the school site including the Forest School, playing field, courtyard and playground for trucks and trikes.

We will also have designated parent-teacher meetings twice a year and write a full end of year report which is sent home to parents in July.

Our parents are invited to share their child’s experiences at home with us at school via ‘Love to Learn’ homework challenges as well as via Parent Share on our Evidence Me app. The Year R team update our Blog on the school website weekly.

We welcome parental support at school and have a number of volunteers who either read regularly or play games with our Reception children.

We have an excellent Pastoral team who are on hand to support any families in their children’s learning and wellbeing both at home and at school. Our Parent Support Advisors - Ms McAvoy, Miss Huckstep and Mrs Fourie - provide care and provision for all our families and their children.

Children will Special Educational Needs are supporting by both our SENDCo (Mrs Paula Standen) and SENDCo Assistant (Miss Georgie Moxon). Parents will have regular meetings with the SEN department, Year Group Leader and/or class teacher to discuss their child’s progress and the ways that we are supporting them in the school. We work closely with external agencies to achieve the very best possible outcomes for our children.

At Cliftonville Primary and Pre-School, we work hard to develop an active partnership with parents where we build and nurture relationships and often draw them in through social events. We see the parents of children at our school as partners and we greatly value the contribution that parents make to their children’s learning and continual development. We aim to work in partnership with parents even before their children start their learning journey at Cliftonville by talking to them about their children and their needs at our open evening and during our Rising 5s sessions in term 6.

One evening in June before the children start with us in Reception, we invite all parents into school for our yearly ‘New Entrants Meeting’. They have the opportunity to meet the Reception teachers and Teaching Assistants as well as find out about the transition process to year R. This is a really relaxed yet informative opportunity for parents to understand what they might expect from the first year of their children’s school lives. Each family receives a learning pack so they can support their children’s learning at home.

Our successful Rising 5s programme is held over the last few weeks of term, offering parents and their children three opportunities to come into school for up to an hour at a time. The children will be able to take part in an activity with their new teacher and other children that will be in their new class and for the parents to take part in a workshop centred around school readiness.

Through our ‘open door’ ethos parents have the opportunity to talk to either Mrs Wilson (Deputy Head Teacher and Early Years Leader) and the Year Group Leader as their child enters school in the morning or the class teacher at the end of the day. Appointments can also be made to see class teachers and members of the Senior Leadership Team through the school office.

We also send out termly newsletters informing families of events and learning that will take place during the forthcoming term.

We invite our Year R parents into school at least once a term to celebrate learning with us. This may be a celebration assembly where the children share what they have learned, perhaps sing some songs and have out on display their writing or creative pieces of art. We also invite families to our Nativity at Christmas time, to our Sports Day and other celebrations throughout the year.  Parents are also invited to read with their children in the classroom on a regular basis.