Learning in the early years is important in its own right, not just a preparation for primary school. Children are active learners. They learn through all their senses through exploration, investigation, trying out, listening and watching as well as play. Children are social learners and interaction with other children and adults is encouraged. Play and the child's own motivation are essential to learning. We plan for each child's individual learning requirements, including those children who need additional support or who have particular needs or disabilities.

Our pre-school activities follow the Early Learning Goals in the Foundation Stage. This involves learning through play and covers six areas of learning:

Knowledge and understanding of the world
Children will be offered the chance to explore and experiment with natural and man made materials. They will be able to compare and identify the feature of different objects, recognise similarities and differences and talk about their discoveries with other children and adults.

Physical development
Children will be given the opportunities both indoors and out to develop, practice and master skills of balance, movement, running, jumping and climbing. At all times they will be closely supervised to ensure safety while encouraged to test their own abilities with challenging activities which are fun.

Communication, Language and Literacy
Children will be given many opportunities to talk about their experiences and to listen to others. They will be encouraged to express their own ideas and in a way which can be understood. They will hear stories, rhymes, poems and songs and when confident will join in with them. Books will always be readily available to children for looking at, to listen to, to read stories and to recognise how printed words and pictures can convey meaning. Materials for mark making will be available and children will be helped to understand the purpose of writing.

Mathematics
Children will get the opportunities provided by many different activities to match, sort, sequence, count and order everyday objects which will form the basis of an understanding of mathematics. Through this knowledge they will be able to solve problems. They will hear examples of the language of mathematics; identify objects by shape, size, number etc. Simple rhymes will help them to learn number sequence.

Creative development
Activities for creative development play will always be available including paint, crayons, pencils, gluing, collage, model-making, materials which are natural and man made. Children will be provided with opportunities to respond to music and recognisable artistic works. They will have opportunities for imaginative play, individually and with others.

Personal social and emotional development
Children will be encouraged to build friendships with other children and adults which will enable them to practice skills of sharing, caring, helping, working together, solving problems and taking responsibility for the environment and themselves. They will be encouraged to concentrate and persevere on individual tasks and to ask for help when needed.

Once a year we organise an outing for the 3-5s to a destination such as Marwell Zoo or Paulton's Park where parents are welcome to join in and at Christmas parents are invited to our Christmas party and concert.

Our popular activities include:

• Music and Movement. This session is very popular with the children and includes singing and dancing along to their favourite songs, accompanied by the piano.
• French lessons which are available once a week. These lessons introduce the children to French and create awareness of foreign languages and cultures.
• FUNdamentals sports sessions are available twice a week, which concentrate on developing the children’s agility, balance and co-ordination introducing them to the enjoyment of sport.

The Sunshines' daily activities:

8.00-9.30	The children arrive, free play.
9.30-10.00	Break time with helpers. Day and weather chart.
10.00-10.30	Music and movement, FUNdamentals or French
10.30-11.50	Topic work, Craft activity, Free play indoors or out
11.50-12.00	Prepare for lunch
12.00-12.45	Lunchtime
12.45-1.00	Story time, Outside play. Morning children go home.
1.00-1.30	Quiet time
1.30-3.30	Topic work, Craft activity, Free play indoors or out. Afternoon children arrive.
3.30-3.45	Prepare for tea
3.45-4.30	Tea time
4.30-6.00	Free play. Home time

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