Early Years at Holywood Steiner School

Kindergarten - children aged 4-6 years / P1 and P2

Kindergarten is a home away from home, as the children arrive, they are warmly welcomed into a room full of gentle colours, soft furnishings, and natural toys, they take off their shoes, coat and put on their own slippers kept at kindergarten.

Kindergarten continues the strong rhythm set up in Preschool, however now as the children slowly prepare for formal learning in Class One new elements are added into the day to develop further independence and fine motor skills.

As the children arrive the activity of the day is already under way, and the children are invited to join in. We follow a rhythm of the week and every day has a different activity, from baking, painting, seasonal crafts, drawing and cleaning.

When the children are in their last year of Kindergarten, they start their very own weaving frame, which helps to develop fine motor skills in preparation for book work in Class One.

The children gradually move into free play, where beautiful, simple, and natural toys are on offer to evoke the children’s imaginations, encourage social play and problem solving. Amongst other things we have a home corner, wooden frames for building houses, wooden blocks which one day become a castle, the next a tower or part of a ship.

Through song we transition into tidy up time, every child is encouraged to put all the toys back in their place neatly, ready for the next day. We practice the skills needed to keep our room and equipment well cared for and tidy. Every day we gather in a circle for a Ring time, a time for seasonal songs, rhymes, and actions. It is a wonderful opportunity to practice our gross and fine motor skills and connect to the different seasons.

At mid-morning, each day we all sit together for a snack prepared in Kindergarten, including freshly baked bread and fruit. Snack time is a moment of quiet and a chance for conversation with each other. We follow a weekly rhythm, and each day has a different snack, often the children know Tuesday simply as bread day. The children all help tidy up the snack table then put on their waterproofs and wellington boots and go outside to play.

We have a large garden with trees, flowers, a sandpit, climbing frame, slide, and swing. The children love to climb, slide, swing and get muddy. The garden is cared for with, pruning, raking, and planting which the children are always welcome to join and love to help.

After an hour of playing outside the children come inside, wash their hands, and settle into our cosy story corner. Every week a new fairy tale or nature story is told by the teacher, the children listen carefully to the story. Often, the teacher creates a simple puppet show for the children.

After a busy morning it is time to sing our goodbye song and for the children to go home.

To enquire about enrolment, please contact the school office on 028 9042 8029 or info@holywood-steiner.co.uk.