Pre-School

Welcome to our Little Sparks pre-school page. Here, you will find lots of information about our pre-school, including details of our dynamic curriculum.

At Holy Cross we see our life’s mission as igniting the spark that will change the lives of all our girls – the spark that will become a flame that will define the arc of their lives. Our ‘little sparks’ will benefit directly from our unrivalled grounds in the heart of Kingston, our wonderful facilities and our permanent specialist teachers.

Curiosity, creativity, communication and confidence are the four cornerstones of early education. Everything happens on a child by child basis, with cognitive development derived from every activity. The girls have all the excitement of our eight acres of grounds (uniquely large for this part of Kingston) – our adventure playground, woodland, pond, play village and sports pitches. From getting messy in the mud kitchens to spotting the mini beasts who have checked into our bug hotels, our little sparks will be curiosity personified.

Here we ignite the spark, that shapes the life.

We hope you enjoy exploring our brochure below – please click the link to download the brochure.

 

Curriculum

In their first year at Holy Cross, our ‘little sparks’ make giant leaps in their personal, social and physical development. Our pre-school captures the imagination of our endlessly inquisitive learners, helping them to take the first small steps towards independence.

The Little Sparks curriculum encompasses The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and more; it provides exciting early exposure to some specialist subjects including art, drama, music, sport, French and Forest School. This broad and dynamic programme is the best possible way of easing your daughter’s transition into the main school, where she will complete the final part of the early years journey. With these robust foundations in place, our Little Sparks will be reception ready and they will fly!

The EYFS has seven interconnected areas of learning and development.

The three prime areas of learning are:

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development – self-regulation, managing self, building relationships  
  • Physical Development – gross motor skills (climbing, risk-taking, balance and coordination) and fine motor skills (holding scissors and pencils correctly)
  • Communication and Language – listening, attention, understanding and speaking

The four specific areas of learning are:

  • Literacy – reading comprehension (story books), phonics (knowing initial sounds, s a t p i n) and writing (early mark making, letter formation and name writing)
  • Mathematics – number (1 to 10) and numerical patterns
  • Understanding the World – past and present, people and communities, the natural world (using technology and computing)
  • Expressive Arts and Design – creating with materials, being imaginative and expressive

Our pre-school girls will enjoy all the advantages of our school – specialist teachers, renowned care, fabulous facilities and grounds. All in the heart of Kingston.

– Mrs Hair, Headteacher