Monday – Friday am – Start Right Core Curriculum

There is a combination of child-initiated activities and adult initiated activities in three areas. Each area has an inside and an outside space. Children are in 3 groups and spend some time in each area. Morning Session activities include play and the development of basic skills based around a weekly topic.

Every child has a star against their name once a week and will receive ‘one to one’ attention in this session. They also have a key worker. The staff will safeguard and promote the welfare of children and teach children about keeping safe in all sessions. The detail about how this is done is outlined in our policies.

They will be given books and activity sheets to take home in a book bag and will choose their own book as well.

Children meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Framework. Assessments of children are made through observations and are recorded online in the Capture Education Learning Journal. At the end of each term, children have a book to take home showing the different activities they have been doing.

Monday – Friday pm

Afternoon activities are designed to be creative, enjoyable and inspirational. There is child initiated activity and free play around a planned activity. The planned activity has a different theme on each afternoon of the week including:

Monday pm: Start Right Dance - ballet inspired movement in a local hall with music from the Royal School of Ballet

Wednesday pm: Start Right Strings – sessions involve all the following elements designed to inspire children to develop their innate musical abilities:

• • Kodaly – building musical skills through the Kodaly approach to music involving listening, singing and actions to songs.
• • Dalcroze – music experienced through movement.
• • Violin – playing the violin – building basic skills with tenth size violins
• • Cello – playing the cello – building basic skills with tenth size cellos
• • Drums – listening to the beat of the music – playing drums.

Tuesday – Friday pm

Start Right Forest School

Our Ethos

We believe everybody should have regular, long-term access to a woodland or natural environment which provides them with inspirational and challenging outdoor learning opportunities. Forest School sessions add an extra dimension to learning that cannot be gained through the indoor classroom. Start Right Forest School offers a learner-centred approach, where the children can learn through self-directed play and exploration. Children are given the opportunity to develop their curiosity, confidence, self-esteem, creativity, empathy, communication skills, knowledge of the natural environment and ability to assess risk – whilst also having a lot of fun!

The children's learning within Start Right Forest School will be inspired by various activities. 'Core Learning Skills' are developed by encouraging them to think about what it is to be a learner, how to work alongside others and what it is to be part of a community. The children are given a choice of activities to explore during Forest School but are free to develop or change the activity as they are inspired.

An Outline of a typical Forest School Session at Start Right

The session begins in the Start Right reception area where the children go to the toilet, change into their wellie boots and put on Start Right outdoor clothing appropriate for the weather and time of year.

The Forest School Leader then leads the group to the Forest School yurt where they sing the Welcome song and the activities for the session are introduced, any safety considerations discussed and practical work demonstrated.

The children go into their group and are directed to a specific area of Forest School with an adult. The children are then free to choose an activity or activities to take part in within that area. The children have three different areas to explore each session. Whilst the children explore, the Forest School Leader and Assistants observe the children, ask questions, and join in with the activities.

Before going back to the main house, the children are called back to sit in the Yurt or around the Fire to talk about what they have learnt, enjoyed, found difficult and experienced during the session. After this time of sharing a story is told or a song is sung.

Back in the house, the children change back into their indoor shoes and take off any outdoor clothing, putting coats etc on to pegs and wellies into their buckets. They then wait in the main house to be collected by parents.