Learning at Little King's
We follow the Foundation Stage curriculum leading to the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Reception year, however, what we offer is so much more. We have an exciting and engaging curriculum which takes into account children’s needs and interests.
We offer very experienced supportive staff with an excellent child to teacher ratio giving us time to talk and get to know your child. Excellent home school links with parents are encouraged and parents are able to comment on their children’s learning journey and add to it themselves.
There are many opportunities for children to demonstrate their performance abilities, one of the most heart-warming has to be our nativity in Gloucester Cathedral.
As a result of our very individual curriculum we produce happy, confident and resilient children who are independent, ready and eager to learn because they have had the very best start.
CLICK HERE to find out more about our curriculum.
The Early Years provides the opportunity to learn more about the world through Forest School, which gives our children the chance to experience an array of fantastic outdoor spaces. Trips go off to sites that range from Crickley Hill Country Park to the Forest of Dean, and not forgetting our very own pond and secret garden right here at the school.
Forest School uses the outdoor environment to help all children learn and provides great curriculum links, ensuring they are achieving academically as they explore and experience the outdoor environment.
The activities are child led with the adults role being one to facilitate, allowing for different learning styles and imagination to prevail. The activities encourage children to develop independence, resilience and risk taking, and to work as part of a team. They improve decision making, and language development and raise self-esteem.
We go out in all weathers apart from thunder and lightning so that the children can experience all the extremities our great British weather offers.
We get very muddy, but most of all have lots of fun!
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Encouraging the habit of regular exercise and helping children develop their physical control, co-ordination and confidence are important elements in our programme which follows the National Curriculum Early Years Foundation Stage framework.
Little King’s have a dedicated specialist sports teacher, Natalie Coates.
Pre-School children have one PE lesson per week. They enjoy a range of activities including moving to music, moving in various ways, and using small apparatus such as beanbags. They also use the outdoor area at least twice a day. Physical activity includes developing fine motor control, developed as children paint, model with playdough, and start to use pencils and scissors.
Reception children build on the work done in Pre-School. They have one PE lesson per week using the hall and dance studio, as well as the outdoor play area. By the end of Reception our goals are for children to show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements; to move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space; and to handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
To ensure our youngest children are not overwhelmed by larger competitive occasions, the Pre-School and Reception children take part in their own Sports Day.
You can watch the highlights from this year's Sports Day here:
In Pre-School and Reception the children have two lessons a week with the Junior School Director of Music, Catherine Sawyer. Starting with nursery rhymes and simple counting and action songs, they move on to learn songs to sing in the Nativity Play, the Easter Bonnet Parade and the Summer Play.
We encourage the children to respond to music through movement and to experiment with rhythms and sounds. They also play percussion instruments and enjoy being introduced to rhythm, tempo, dynamics and pitch.
The children also have one dance class a week with our dedicated dance teacher, Ruth Woodliffe. Children are introduced to dance and movement for fun and start learning how to use dance as expression and performance. Every year little King’s pupils perform in the Key Stage 1 nativity and summer performance – each child getting the opportunity to perform in the Chapter House for an audience of friends and parents.
In the Early Years we often encourage children to initiate Art and Design activities themselves. We also teach by linking the subjects to engaging topics. Our aim is to develop children’s fine motor skills as well as their creativity.
They experience a wide range of media, including crayons, pastels, chalk, paint, collage, recycled materials and clay. While we demonstrate skills and techniques, our emphasis is on enabling self-expression; giving the children opportunities to explore colours, shapes and textures and to communicate their ideas through their creations.
Watch highlights from the Summer play Dumble the Dinosaur here:
Transition from Little King's to Junior School
We take particular care to prepare our pupils for their move up to Junior School, ensuring their world grows as they do.
Before your child transitions, they are invited to a 'Move up Morning'. The idea of the morning is to allow your child to familiarise themselves with their new classroom and get to know the teachers and new class friends through some fun activities.
Academy Mornings
Each term we hold an academy morning when children join together to re-visit former classes and teachers and get to know new ones. There are lots of activities which take place in each classroom and the older children get the opportunity to help the younger ones and show them what to do.
Our Little King’s building is located as part of the Junior school making children and parents feel part of the wider King’s community.
It is beneficial for the children to all mix together and learn about different areas of the school so that they feel comfortable when moving through the early years.
