Our Routine

There is a lot of free flow for the children during their time at the pre-school, giving them the opportunity to explore, learn and make choices as they play. With this is mind, we also have a basic routine within the morning and afternoon sessions in order to provide an inclusive care that promotes confidence and develops on all seven areas of development.

Our Routine

*TimeAM/PMSession*	*Planned Activity*
9.00am & 1.00pm	We arrive, collect our names hang up our coats and are off to free play.
9.00am - 9.30am	Tooth brushing -The children can sit with their friends and brush their teeth together, only if we have consent from the parents.
9.30am & 1.30pm	Carpet Time for the 3 - 5 year old children; free play for the 2 year old children.
10.00am & 2.00pm	We wash our hands and have our snack time in groups, whilst the other children free play until we swap for their turn.
10.45 am 11.00am & 3.00pm	The 5 minute timer is set and then we tidy up all of the toys and the mess we have made before we get ready to go out side. We go outside to play. (Weather permitting)
11: 30am & 3.30pm	We come inside for story time before we get ready for home time, or lunch time. ( In the summer if the weather is nice we have story time outside)

Alongside with this routine we have staff deployed around the room to interact with the children, developing their social skills, communication and general development whilst they play. The pre-school is equipped with a range of resources to develop on all seven areas of development, which is regularly changed over to keep interesting, including:

Drawing table
Maths table
Sensory table
Puzzle table
Painting
Sand play
Book corner
Home corner
Dolls house
Train set
Cars matt
Interest table
Variety table
Special two year old area
Messy Play table

There is also the craft table which runs throughout each sesson

where the children come and create something in line with the

current topic in small groups.

We also have regular group games and activities being led by a

member of staff, such as board games, story times and activities

such as ICT, Science or messy play; all aimed to stimulate the

children and develop their skills, understanding and attention.

Carpet time

This lasts about 15 -20mins.

The children aged 3-5 years old are asked to sit and join in with carpet time as this is good practise for when they transition to school. We talk about the days of the week, the date, the months and the year. We have a letter of the week and we talk about what things begin with that letter. We also talk about what we are making on the craft table that week and discuss it, look at pictures and watch videos. The children are invited up to talk about their experiences and stories if they would like too.

Every day we practise Makaton and the children take turns to show each other as well as learning y watching it on TV.

We then end carpet time with songs and rhymes chosen by the children. We go through the boundaries of the pre-school for example sharing is caring and no running inside and that we have to be kind to everyone, and then they can go and play.

Snack Time

At Our Lady's Pre-School we are big promoters of healthy eating. The children are provided with a healthy snack during both morning and afternoon sessions.
The children are taken in groups of around 12 to wash their hands before snack, talking about good hygiene and why we wash our hands before eating; the children then sit with their friends around tables.
Through all activities in the pre-school we like to promote choice and independence, snack time is no different; a child is chosen from each table to give out the plates and another to give out the cups. They are then provided with a range of different prepared fruits and vegetables (a selection of 5 different fruits/vegetables each session) for them to choose and put onto their plates. They then also choose from a drink of either milk or water and assisted them to pour the drink themselves.
During snack time we promote good manners, asking for please and thank you's to staff and other children who are handing out the plates, cups and fruits. When the children are finished and ready to leave they take their plate and cup up to a tray positioned by the tables.

Outside Play
We have a large outside, secure, area where the children are provided with a wide range of equipment and resources to explore.
We have balls, hoola hoops, bats, bikes, scooters, cars, see-saws, balancing beams, stepping logs, slides and climbing frames to develop the children's co-ordination and other gross motor skills.

We then also have black boards and chalks for the children to mark make with, developing their fine motor skills also. Along with regular other mark making messy play, such as sand, foam, magic snow and water play.