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Welcome to St Paul’s Pre-School

At St Paul’s, we believe that when a child has fun while learning, the benefits are boundless. Children possess a natural instinct to explore; our role is to guide and direct that curiosity through activities that stimulate, encourage, and inspire.

Our goal is to ensure your child’s first experience of pre-school is both joyful and foundational. We celebrate every child as a unique individual, providing a safe, caring environment where they can develop at their own pace and grow into happy, confident learners.

The Montessori Curriculum
We utilize vertical grouping (mixed ages) to foster a nurturing community. Within this setting, children develop autonomy, self-respect, and social cooperation. Our curriculum is divided into six key areas of development:

Area Focus & Activities
Practical Life: Enhancing coordination and independence through daily tasks like pouring, dressing, and sewing.
Sensorial :Using specialist apparatus to refine the senses, including grading weights, matching sounds, and recognizing shapes.
Numeracy: Hands-on learning that transitions from simple concepts to abstract mathematical thought.
Literacy: A phonics-based approach using songs, rhymes, and word games to build a foundation for reading and writing.
The World Exploring: nature, geography, and simple science to understand our community and environment.
Creative Open-ended exploration: using art, textiles, sand, and water play to express individual ideas.

Physical Development

We provide ample opportunities for indoor and outdoor play. With high adult-to-child ratios, we ensure children safely meet physical challenges, improving both gross motor skills (climbing and balancing) and fine motor skills (using tools and pens).

Our Approach: Learning & Assessment

Learning Through Play
Following the research of Maria Montessori and the EYFS framework, we recognize that play is how children learn to think. We offer a balance of child-initiated play and adult-led activities to ensure comprehensive progress.

Partnering with Parents
We believe parents know their children best. We use frequent observations to document progress on our web-based development records. We encourage parents to contribute by sharing their child's interests and achievements at home.

Key Policies & Admissions
Admissions Procedure

Ages: We accept children from 2 to 4 years old.

Visits: Parents are invited to meet the School Manager before enrollment.

Sessions: To gain the full benefits of the Montessori method, we recommend a minimum of three sessions per week.

Notice: We require a full term’s written notice for withdrawals.

Health, Safety & Safeguarding

Security: A teacher is always on duty at the door during arrival and departure. Children are only released to known carers with valid ID.

Illness: Children must be fever-free or symptom-free from diarrhoea/vomiting for at least 48 hours before returning to school.

Safeguarding: We have a statutory duty to report serious concerns to Children’s Services and maintain a strict code of conduct for all staff and visitors.

Inclusion & Special Needs
We follow the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. We strive to accommodate all children; however, as a small setting, admissions are based on our current capacity to meet a child's specific needs effectively.
SEN Coordinator: Mrs. Flavia L. Webb

General Information for Parents

Clothing: Please provide comfortable, washable clothes and a spare set in a labeled bag. Indoor slippers are required for all children.

Healthy Eating: Please provide a healthy lunchbox (no nuts, nut products, honey, fizzy drinks, or chocolate). Use a cool pack to keep items fresh.

Birthdays: We love to celebrate! Please coordinate with staff if you would like to bring a treat for the class.

Conduct: We maintain a zero-tolerance policy regarding abusive behavior or social media harassment toward staff or other parents.