Developing a love of learning
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework is a statutory guideline for children from birth to the school year in which they turn five.
The learning environment is carefully organised so that the children are offered a wide variety of opportunities to explore, experiment, plan and make excellent progress: thus they develop as real individuals, according to their particular talents and needs, whilst also learning to take their rightful places in the community.
The two Reception classrooms open out onto a dedicated outdoor classroom. The Reception children have their own cloakroom and toilet facilities between the two classrooms.
Lower School (Reception to Year 2)
In Reception, the seven areas of inter-connected learning and development are further focused into three areas crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas are: Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development.
The importance of play cannot be overestimated. Well-planned and structured play activities, in a secure environment with effective and enthusiastic adult support, enable children to explore, develop and represent real life experiences which help them to build an understanding of the world. They learn to communicate with others, to control impulses and to explore real or imagined anxieties in a safe environment. Through role play they can develop genuine appreciation of the feelings of others.
In Reception, children are normally placed into two parallel classes, each cared for by a specialist early-years teacher who is responsible for delivering the curriculum and nurturing each child’s emotional well-being. Each class is also ably supported by a teaching assistant.
During the Lower School years (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2), our primary focus is upon English and Mathematics, which then broadens to include Science and Technology.
Cross-curricular topics provide opportunities for these basic skills to be developed and also for learning to take place through observation, communication and recording. Themes are carefully planned to provide a broad, stimulating and progressive education for each child.
Even at this early stage, children are encouraged to reflect upon their own work, to become active participants in their learning and become critical readers, writers, experimenters and thinkers.
Upper School (Year 3 - 6)
Once our pupils progress to Upper School participation into specialist subjects increases. At Wrekin Prep we have subject specialist teachers in Science, Music and Drama, Information Technology (IT), Spanish, Sport, Swimming, Innovation and Art. These specialisms are housed in superb facilities including our Science Lab, Music and Drama Suite, IT suite, our own 25m indoor swimming pool, Innovation Lab, Art Room and a plethora of sports facilities, including extensive playing fields, two sports halls and floodlit artificial all-weather pitches. Access to subject specialists, experts in their field, inspires our pupils and gives them excellent preparation for Senior School education.