Alphablocks Nursery School | Ofsted Outstanding | Hadley WoodAs an outstanding Nursery School & Pre-prep, we support our older children’s transition to primary school in consistent, effective ways. However, there are always things that parents and carers can also do to support this important process.
Here are some tips on how you can your child for the transition to primary school:
There are a number of established educational approaches in the early years sector and, even though there are many differences between them, they all share the same simple goal: to help every child fulfil his or her potential.
Despite the differences between these approaches, all of them are recognised by Ofsted and form part of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. The Montessori approach puts at its centre the child’s independence in learning and development, while the Reggio Emilia approach focuses on how the learning environment can act as a ‘third teacher’. Forest School sessions at our nursery develop confidence and self-esteem through learner-inspired, hands-on experiences in natural settings.
In this post we review the core features of each approach and explain, in simple terms, how we combine their best elements into a unique hybrid approach which is followed here at Alphablocks Nursery School & Pre-Prep, a boutique nursery in the heart of Hadley Wood village, serving local communities in Barnet and Enfield.
Choosing a nursery school for your child is far from easy. Nursery schools cover a crucial age group in terms of child development, from around the age of 2 to the age of 5. A nursery school’s aim shouldn’t simply be to care for your child in a safe environment. It should also provide carefully selected learning resources and opportunities for real growth. It should tailor everything it does around empowering your child to become a confident, independent learner. We’re here to help you choose a nursery school which can rise to this key challenge.
The importance of early education cannot be underestimated and many parents start thinking about it around the time of their child’s second birthday. More often than not parents tend to get quite anxious, as there are many parameters to consider, lots of perspectives to take into account. After all, a nursery school represents a child’s first experience with the educational system. They feel that this first educational setting could potentially shape their child’s future attitude towards learning. And quite rightly so – the evidence so far is indeed pointing to that conclusion.
So the central question then becomes: What is the most important thing when choosing a nursery school? Is it the quality of the teachers and early years professionals who work with the children? Is it the quality of the indoor / outdoor environment and the learning opportunities it provides? Or is it perhaps that children are well-cared for and have loads of fun when at school?