Life at pre-school
Exploring, discovering and connecting with nature – indoors and out.
A typical day
- 8.30am – Early drop-off (optional)
- 9.00am – Children arrive and self-register at the top gate. Child-led activities and free play
- 9.30am – Adult and child-led activities, with free-flow play indoors and outdoors. Small group work, and a small group goes to Forest Camp (days vary)
- 10.00am – Snack café opens: hand washing and time to chat
- 11.40am – Tidy-up time and hand washing, followed by stories and singing
- 12.00pm – Morning session ends and afternoon session begins. Lunch and time to chat
- 12.30pm – As children finish lunch, they put away their lunch boxes and throw away their rubbish
- 12.40pm – Child-led activities and free play indoors and outdoors. Small group work, and a small group goes to Forest Camp (days vary)
- 2.50pm – Tidy-up time, followed by stories and singing
- 3.00pm – Home time: collection from reception
- 3.00pm to 4.00pm – After School Club (Monday to Thursday)
Indoors
Our large classroom is set up with activities that change every day, including:
- role play
- arts and crafts – gluing, painting, colouring and cutting
- messy play, and sand and water play
- Play-Doh
- ICT
- cooking – baked goods feature regularly
- a huge range of toys, games, puzzles and books
All our resources are checked for breakages, cleaned every term and replenished regularly to keep them safe and varied.
Outdoors
Our building is purpose-built, so children can move freely between indoors and outdoors. We’re lucky to have a large garden, which children use in all seasons and weathers to learn about nature and to play in a space designed for physical development. It has a mud kitchen, mini-beast hotel, slide, playhouse, ride-on toys, vegetable garden and sports equipment.
Our covered outdoor classroom means children can keep playing, reading and learning in the fresh air, even in bad weather. Please make sure your child has suitable shoes and a coat for outdoor play.
Forest Camp
Our Forest Camp gives children regular visits to a natural environment in every season and weather. Child-led play is at its heart: every child is unique, so they learn through their own interests, ideas and mistakes, and take control of their own learning. Staff give children the support and resources they need to test their ideas.
We promote risky play, which encourages children to assess risk for themselves, test their ideas, make mistakes, learn from them and move on. We’re going to get muddy and wet, and probably pick up a few scratches, bumps and bruises along the way – but we hope children will become resilient, imaginative, confident, compassionate and, above all, happy.
The three Rs of Forest Camp
- Risk – children are supported in taking risks, assessing their own environment, play and the resources they use.
- Resilience – children use resources that test their imagination, ideas and abilities. They’re allowed to make mistakes, and learn from them.
- Relationships – children work together, learn from each other’s ideas and help and support one another. They also develop a positive relationship with the natural world.
Snack café
Our snack café is open for about half an hour. Children choose when to come, then choose from three or four items, including a carbohydrate, fruit and/or vegetables – for example toast, crumpets, fresh and dried fruit, tomatoes, cheese or carrots. They’re encouraged to be independent: pouring their own drinks, buttering toast and cutting up fruit. A member of staff supervises, and it’s a very sociable time. Snacks are included in our fees.
Lunch
Children who stay all day, or come to an afternoon session, can bring a packed lunch or have a hot school lunch. Hot lunches cost £2.50 and are cooked by Kite’s Kitchen, which also provides lunches for Sonning Common Primary School. Allergies can be catered for. Please order hot lunches in advance – we can also accommodate last-minute requests made before 9.30am on the day. Menus are available at the start of every term: see this term’s menu.
Toilet training
We offer as much support as we can to help you toilet train your child. Please bring in spare nappies, wipes and nappy sacks, as well as plenty of changes of clothes.
Ready to take the next step?
We’d love to show you around and tell you more about life at Sonning Common Pre-School.