Phonics
Sandpaper letters and sound games. Children trace the shape while they say it, so letter and sound arrive together.
Nursery · ages 3 to 4
Where play starts turning into reading and counting
A longer work cycle, the first phonics sounds and number rods on the shelf. Children this age want to do things properly, so we let them — including carrying their own tray across the room.
On the shelves this year
Early maths
Number rods, spindle boxes and counting work that a child can check themselves without a teacher marking it.
Practical life
Buttoning, sweeping, pouring and polishing. Independence is a skill, and it is taught as deliberately as anything else.
Storytelling and puppets
Weekly puppet shows and retelling, where children narrate the story back in their own words.
By the end of the year
- Recognises and writes most letter sounds
- Counts and matches quantity to numeral up to ten
- Dresses, eats and tidies up without help
- Sits through a story and takes a turn in a group
The week outside the classroom
Outdoor play every day, one music session, one movement session and a garden patch each group looks after. Field trips run once a term.
Questions parents ask
No written homework at this age. We suggest reading together and letting your child help with real household tasks, which is the same work they do here.
Writing begins with tracing sandpaper letters and the moveable alphabet. Pencil work follows once the hand is ready, usually later in the year.
Yes, when a seat is free. Children joining mid-year get the same phase-in as September starters.
A water bottle, a snack box and a spare set of clothes. Materials and art supplies are provided.
Visits run on weekday mornings
See a working classroom, meet the lead teacher and ask about seats in your child's age group.