How We Help Your Child Prepare for Further Education
At Muddy Boots, our aim is to help you give your child their best start in life, and that means helping them prepare for the next big step - school! Across our nurseries, the Pre-School staff work hard to make sure your child is ready for full time education; from skills like reading and writing, to self-care and demonstrating independence. As children begin to transition into Primary School, or move up to Trailblazers, Pathfinders and Nature School, we’re sharing some of the ways we help your child feel ready and confident to start the next step in their journey.
Laying Strong Foundations for Further Education
In the Pre-School rooms at Muddy Boots, we focus our efforts on school readiness. Our aim is that children who leave Muddy Boots will be confident and bright, emotionally robust, ready to make friends, and capable of taking on any challenges they may face. When parents are navigating the transition to school, we consistently reassure them that schools are not primarily looking for children who have already mastered phonics or perfected writing. Instead, their focus is much more on essential self-care skills, such as putting on shoes and coats, and independent toileting. At Muddy Boots, we firmly believe in laying strong foundations for further education by prioritising children’s overall wellbeing and confidence. We support independence by encouraging self-registration, self-serving at mealtimes, and emboldening the children to voice their opinions and ideas. Alongside this, we also dedicate attention to developing their gross and fine motor skills, fostering good communication, and nurturing their Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED).
A Holistic Approach & Outdoor-Focused Methodology
In many ways, we prepare children for school in the same way any school-based Preschool setting does, but we approach it with a more holistic and outdoor-focused methodology. All Early Years Providers follow the same curriculum (EYFS) and are held to the same standards by Ofsted. However, at Muddy Boots we approach the curriculum with play and observation, as opposed to the more traditional ‘topic led’ teaching adopted by schools. This allows us to cater to each child’s individual interests and needs, providing them with learning opportunities and activities that are geared towards them. We believe, and research has shown, that this is the best way to capture their imagination and engage children in purposeful learning. There are also plenty of benefits to our outdoor-focused approach to learning, which you can find more information about in our blog.
Early Mathematics & Phonics Group Work
The Early Years Teachers in our Preschool rooms also start inspiring and encouraging the children with early Mathematics and Phonics during group work, to help ready the children for more formal learning when they start school. These group activities are often organised so that children going to the same schools will work together, allowing them to develop new friendships and get to know each other before starting school. Staff work closely with Reception Class Teachers too, communicating with them regarding your child’s attainment, likes and dislikes, personal needs and friendship groups, ensuring that your child’s school has all the information they need to support their learning and growth.
Building Friendships Beyond Nursery
As parents, you may often wonder whether any friends from nursery will attend the same school as your child, and how your child will get on with making new friends. Our Preschool rooms have a ‘Getting Ready for School’ display where parents can place their phone numbers to get in touch with each other and arrange play dates with their children ahead of starting school together. This can help ease the transition, as children can share experiences with each other and perhaps make new friends together. We also run Pioneers Out of School Club at some of our settings, meaning your child can return to Muddy Boots to see some of their friends from nursery, as well as continuing to make new ones. To find out more about Pioneers in York and Leeds, submit an enquiry form to get in touch with a member of our team.
Remember You Aren’t Alone
Remember, you aren’t alone in this process; our staff are always on hand to help with any questions or concerns you may have. If you would like any further information regarding Preschool, transitions, and school readiness, please get in touch with our team, or speak to your child’s key worker. We are always happy to help, and we want you and your child to feel as confident as possible when it comes to starting the next big step in their educational journey!
Wishing all our Preschool children the very best for their future outside of Muddy Boots - we hope you have a fantastic time at your new school!
Team Muddy Boots x
