Otter's Room (Infants)
In our Otters Room we have a maximum ratio of 1:4. The room is lead by our Lead Teacher with a support assistant teacher.
Each teacher is responsible for a small group of children and form a special bond with these children and their families. The teachers in the room cater for each child's own individual needs on a daily basis, ensuring a consistent routine to match that of home.
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Before your child joins us we like to find out all about them. By understanding their character, home routines and needs, we are able to make the transition process as smoother for both you and them.
During your child's day there are plenty of activities provided to both entertain and support development, these include mark-making, painting and messy play. We also have a wide range of commercial baby toys and open-ended resources which are used to stimulate the children and develop cognitive skills.
Throughout the day the children get a chance to spend time in our outdoor area where we explore the different sounds, sights and textures around us and play on the various playground toys that our scaled to meet their needs.
The room is large and open with space for eating, changing playing and sleeping . There is a homely feel to the room and the children contribute to the vibrant and exciting displays.
Toad's Room (Toddlers)
In our Toads Room we have a maximum ratio of 1:6.
This is the room where the children start to develop their own little characters. They are walking and talking and becoming more confident in everything they do. This makes this room a lot of fun as the children are generally into everything wanting to explore and investigate in order to understand the world around them.
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Children are supported by knowledgeable and caring teachers, who encourage the children's developing independence and social skills as they play. We have created a fun learning environment for the children to explore and discover which can involve getting messy with different materials such as jello, pasta, paint, play-doh and a range of open-ended resources. This provides a holistic approach to learning and development.
The children are having such a great time they don't even realise they are learning! All of sudden, the children can be counting up to ten or telling us their top is blue.
During each session the children have access to play and explore outdoors and we also use it as an extension to the classroom so that the children in order to enhance each child's learning experience.
Badger's Room (Two year old's)
In Badgers Room we have a maximum ratio of 1:11.
The children enjoy a range of activities to support their learning including role play, construction, creative and of course messy play which seems to be a particular favorite in this room. While in Badger's Room the children begin to develop close friendships through their play and start to become very talkative!
At this age children’s imagination is evolving and it will continue to flourish as they get older. Pretending lets your 2-year-old be anyone they want, practice things they have learned, and make situations turn out the way they want.
Getting along socially can be tricky at any age. For example, when your 2-year-old joins the other children in the sandbox to create a castle out of sand, sticks, and leaves, they are not only exploring a fantasy world, they are learning complex, real-world rules about sharing, social interaction, and resolving conflicts.
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Throughout the day we spend a lot of time in the outdoors, exploring, using our gross motor skills on the play equipment, playing games, enjoying constructive play and creating works of art with nature materials found.
This is also the stage in the children's lives where they start to show a readiness for potty training and we support you and your child during this time by continuing the routine you have established at home, or offering advice and guidance when your child shows signs of readiness for potty training.
Squirrel's Room (Three year old's)
In Squirrel's Room we have a maximum ratio of 1:15.
Your child's language will develop a lot this year and they will learn hundreds of new words by listening to you and others. Your child is fascinated by the world around them and enjoys moving and being active. They are mastering peddling a tricycle, throwing, catching and kicking a ball, running, climbing, jumping, hopping and balancing. This a very exciting time!
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As your child understands opposites like big/ small and more/ less and concepts like 'on', 'in' and 'under' we provide a positive approach to problem solving by asking open-ended questions and we support the children in their attempt at finding solutions so they can extend their mathematical and scientific thinking. Your child will also start to identify letters and numbers when you name them and can count objects and sort them by color and shape so we engage the children in conversations and activities that will enhance their learning including structured play.
Mole's Room (Four year old's & VPK)
In Moles Room we have a maximum ratio of 1:12 while offering VPK and a maximum ratio of 1:20 outside VPK. The room is lead by our Lead Teacher and supported by an Assistant Teacher. As children grow into early childhood, their world begins to open up. They become more independent and begin to focus more on adults and children outside of the family. They want to explore and ask about the things around them even more.
Their interactions with those around them will help to shape their personality and their own ways of thinking and moving. During this stage, children become able to use safety scissors, help to dress and undress themselves, recall part of a story, and sing a song without assistance. The children's use of language flourishes and their enquiring minds are keen to discover the answers to all their questions.
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Your child is now developing more socially, has real friendships and understands the causes of feelings. Physically they are much more coordinated in high energy activities such as running and climbing and may have progressed to riding a tricycle. Our team plan activities that reflect the Creative Curriculum and the Kindness Curriculum for the development of pre-kindergarten children. There are opportunities to learn at every turn, including early reading and maths skills, science, mark-making, imaginative play, construction and ICT , which are reinforced through what we call ‘purposeful play’.
We start to introduce a little more structure to your child's day, along with other activities such as cooking, dance, drama and scientific experiments. Children are also introduced to Spanish through games and fun activities!
While outdoors the children experience activities such as bug hunts, bark rubbings, den making and using the larger play equipment, to name a few. Our aim is to encourage self confidence and a real enjoyment of learning so when they start kindergarten, they are self assured and raring to go.
The Great Outdoors
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Learning through play is simply more fun outside, so outdoor play is built into each morning and afternoon’s activities, weather permitting. At Toad Hall we use the outdoors as an extension to the classroom and will often extended indoor activities to the outdoors so that the children's learning experience is enhanced.
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We have a large playground that is sectioned into varying areas so that all children have continuous access all day. We have both large and small play equipment and there is plenty of space to run and exercise those growing muscles.
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Security
Security is of utmost importance and we take the responsibility of looking after your child seriously. We have 24 hour CCTV surveillance system. There is an entry door system to our main entrance and our playgrounds are secured with fencing.
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We ask all our parents not to let anyone into the building behind them. Parents are given their own entry door codes and these should not be shared with anyone other than themselves. Other family members or friends should use the door bell if they are dropping off or collecting a child and a member of the staff will attend to them. It will be necessary to confirm the identity of persons unknown to us before allowing them access to the center, but we would rather leave someone waiting for a few minutes or so, rather than putting your child at risk.
