St Michael’s Pre-School Ethos

At St Michael’s Pre-school we provide a warm, caring, enabling environment where children are safe and stimulated to explore and make sense of their world and their learning, enabling them to build on their existing knowledge.  We recognise that young children’s learning is holistic and provide a flexible, stimulating, challenging, yet achievable, inclusive curriculum based on our children’s individual interests, learning styles, abilities, age-stage, cultures and backgrounds. Each child is observed, enabling practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of children’s perspectives of their environment. All children are valued and respected for their own abilities, interests, ideas, thoughts and opinions – every child is unique. We actively promote diversity, decision making, free choice and encourage children to take risks.  We acknowledge the importance of The Child’s Voice, promoting communication skills in all areas of our setting. Our children will develop into competent learners who recognise their own abilities and limitations.

We recognise that families are the first and most powerful influence on childhood learning and development. Practitioners, creating positive relationships with families provide children with the best learning and development opportunities. We acknowledge that care and learning are inseparable.  We acknowledge, respect and welcome all families regardless of their socio-economic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, acknowledging that these factors create their own unique experiences, which we want to share.  We provide opportunities for all children to be part of the community, helping them to take part in society and develop their own cultural and spiritual beliefs. We recognise the web of family and community is the children’s key anchor for early development.

We recognise the importance of providing our children with the opportunity to explore all areas of the environment and provide free-flow indoor/outdoor play, which develops healthy bodies and minds. We actively promote all aspects of healthy living and positive life-style choices.

The development of a child’s brain holds the key to the child’s future.

We understand that our success can only be measured by the happiness and development of the children we care for.

Our children are our future.