JUNIOR DEPARTMENT
Fledgelings comprises Kindergarten and the pre-school class of Daisy Chain at Old Hall.  The two year groups work hand in hand to provide a rich and stimulating curriculum planned under the guidance of The Old Hall School’s Early Years Co-ordinator.  All children are actively encouraged to build upon their enthusiasm for knowledge and learning.
 
The Right Environment
The whole environment is carefully organised so that the children are offered many opportunities to explore, experiment, plan and make excellent progress: thus they develop as real individuals, according to their particular talents and needs, whilst also learning to take their rightful places in the community.  The two Kindergarten classrooms are situated adjacent to the Daisy Chain Fledgelings’ classrooms and all rooms open out onto a connecting outdoor play area.  The Kindergarten children have their own cloakroom and toilet facilities between the two classrooms.

Learning and Growing
The phase of education occurring between the ages of 3+ and 5+ is The Foundation Stage. It is organised into the following six areas of learning recognised nationally as being vital for this age group.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development promoted through a well-balanced range of activities providing a moral, spiritual and social platform for growth.

Communication, Language and Literacy developed through communicating, speaking and listening in different situations and for different purposes.

Mathematical Development achieved through participating in carefully chosen stories, songs, games and practical activities to promote numerical skills.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World developed through providing young children with the opportunities to explore and question the world around them.

Creative Development nurtured through imaginative opportunities to foster original thinking in every child.

Physical Development encouraged through a range of activities that improve skills, co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement under the guidance of the schools early years sports specialist.

The Importance of Play
The importance of play cannot be overestimated. Well-planned and structured play activities, in a secure environment with effective adult support, enable children to explore, develop and represent real life experiences which help them to build an understanding of the world.

They learn to communicate with others, to control impulses, to express fears and to explore real or imagined anxieties in a safe environment. Through role-play they can develop genuine appreciation of the feelings of others.

Staffing and Pupil Care
In Kindergarten, children are placed in two parallel classes, each cared for by a specialist early-years teacher who is responsible for delivering the curriculum and nurturing each child’s emotional well-being. They are ably supported by a teaching assistant.

Practical Matters
We have had excellent OFSTED and ISI inspections, reports of which are readily available. We are registered under the 1989 Children Act with the local Social Services Department and the safety and security of our site are always uppermost in our thoughts.

We also offer after school play club and extra curricular activities, enabling pupils to develop in areas beyond the curriculum and assisting parents whose commitments mean that they need to collect their children after the normal finish of the school day.

A Firm Foundation
During the Junior Department years (Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2), the initial major focus is upon English and Mathematics, which then broadens to include Science and Technology. Cross-curricular topics provide opportunities for these basic skills to be developed and also for learning to take place through observation, communication and recording. Themes are carefully planned to provide a broad, stimulating and progressive education for each child.  Swimming lessons continue in the Kindergarten year and French is introduced at this time.

Even at this early stage, children are encouraged to reflect upon their own work, to become active participants in their learning and become critical readers, writers, experimenters and thinkers. With the increasing importance of modern technology, each class has an interactive whiteboard, a computer, printer and a range of educational software, as well as benefiting from ICT lessons using a suite of school computers.

The School's Learning Support Department plays a vital part in identifying each child's individual needs. Starting with baseline assessment on entry, it continues by screening every four year old through a comprehensive, computerised profiling system that highlights strengths and weaknesses which are monitored as pupils develop.

Music, Drama, Art and Craft activities also play a prominent role in the curriculum, offering vital opportunities to extend and enrich each child's basic classroom experience. From the formality of a concert or play to the informality of spontaneous painting, children are encouraged to develop skills of self-expression, both individually and in groups.

With spacious grounds, a splendid sports hall and a modern indoor swimming pool, the School offers first-class facilities for all aspects of physical education. Children are taught ball-skills, movement, gymnastics, athletics and team games. In the pool, our own progressive certificate programme encourages all pupils to enjoy and improve their swimming skills.

Finally, we believe that good communication between staff and parents is vital to a child's success and happiness. Teachers welcome informal consultation with parents, and on specific evenings there are formal parent-teacher meetings. Regular, written reports provide a permanent record of progress. To support the teachers, full-time teaching assistants work with individuals and groups.