Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Our typical day is made up of many free play sessions bookended with whole group activities. We promote learning through play and understand the value of enabling children to make their own decisions in this play. We try to get the balance of free play, teacher-led sessions and whole group activities as good as we can to maximise opportunities for development. Of course, the ‘perfect day’ will be different for every child and so we are also flexible with our plans, and observe children carefully during sessions to make adjustments to their support wherever needed.

09:00 – Welcome and Register
Children are encouraged to hang up their own coats and bags, collect their name card and put it on the ‘I’m here today board’. We then sit together to complete the register.

Group activity

Following this the children take part in a group activity such as makaton singing and signing or a wake-up-shake-up session.

09:30 – Free Play
The children are encouraged to independently choose play activities which are laid out on tables or in areas of the hall. These may include arts and crafts, ICT, a book corner with sofas and cushions, small world play (cafe, hairdressers, building site etc), sensory tables with messy play, water play, climbing frame, dressing up box. We also have an outdoor play area with a number of toys, bikes and trikes. We encourage children to play outdoors whenever the weather allows and we also have raised beds where the children can do gardening and explore the natural world (i.e. find bugs!)

We always have an adult led activity which could be cooking, letters and sounds activities, special crafts, gardening, numeracy games or themed activities around seasonal events such as Diwali , Easter, Christmas, Chinese new year and mothers day.

We ensure all six areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum are covered and the children are stimulated whilst having an exciting, fun time with their friends.

10:30 – Snack time
Snack time is not a fixed time. We invite the children to choose when they are ready for their snack. This means they do not have their flow of play interrupted, and provides an opportunity for the children to make their own decisions. When ready, children help themselves to a healthy snack from the table and a drink and then wash up their own plate and cup after they have finished. 

11:00 – More free play
The children can continue with the play activities or sometimes we may have a trip to the adjacent playground or out in our garden.

11:40 – Tidy up time
The children are encouraged to help tidy things back to their areas. We use a tidy up song to help this happen.

11:45 – Story-time/ show and tell
We all come together to share some calm time and a story before the end of the morning session. Sometimes the children bring in something special to them or share special events with the rest of the group.  This encourages language development, communication and confidence skills.

12:00 – Packed Lunch Time or Home
At lunch time, children and staff sit at round tables together to eat their lunch

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13:00 – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Afternoon session starts.

Afternoon sessions are free play.

15:00 – Home Time

Tuesday & Thursday sessions:

On Tuesdays and Thursdays we spend a morning at Calstock Primary School to familiarise the children with the school environment. We undertake forest school-inspired activities at Enviromania and there are opportunities to visit Class 1, use the nature garden, do P.E. and use the playground and other facilities. 

Calstock Community Primary School website