The Early Years department, comprising of our Nursery and Reception class, provides a caring and stimulating environment for the beginning of your child’s educational journey at Kent College.
Children can join the Nursery at any point during the term in which they are three. Full or part time sessions are available. Mornings, afternoons or full days to suit both the needs of the child and parent. Children who are four by 31st August can join the Reception class in the September after their fourth birthday.
Our Early Years department comprises of two Nursery buildings, and a spacious Reception classroom. These are linked by a large garden area, with many resources which offer the children areas of risk, challenge and imagination in their outdoor play and learning. All of these facilities are situated in our idyllic and well looked after rural site.
An Early Years Coordinator oversees the Nursery and Reception classes; supported by a well-qualified and experienced team of teachers and teaching assistants, all of whom are Early Years trained. Our outstanding facilities enable us to offer an excellent and age appropriate introduction to school life. Planned teaching through observation of play and exploration is based on children’s learning and development. In the Nursery this is mainly based on the three Prime areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage but also the four specific areas, working towards the children achieving their Early Learning goals, by the time they reach the end of the Reception year.
The children also have the opportunity to engage in lessons with specialist teachers in sport and music, helping to develop their skills at an early age.
Lunches are served in the school dining hall. Each day the children are offered a choice of hot meals and a salad bar. All food is prepared and cooked on the premises. Staff sit with the children, supporting them with their food choices and enabling them to develop their eating and social skills in a relaxed environment.
The Early Years Foundation Stage leads to the National Curriculum on which the school bases its learning strategies and teaching. However our independent status allows us the flexibility to broaden the children’s learning opportunities.
