Early Years at Almancil
Almancil campus provides a nurturing, active, and personalised learning experience for children aged 3 to 5. We know that the best early education is vital to your child’s life chances, so we partner with families like yours to support children to gain this critical basis for future learning.
Our Curriculum
Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) programme is thoughtfully designed around the English Early Learning Goals, providing a structured yet flexible framework that supports children’s growth across multiple areas of development.
We use a project-based, hands-on approach that makes learning joyful, engaging, and fun, while aligning with these key early learning objectives to ensure a well-rounded foundation for each child.
A highly trained teacher manages each class, supported by a full-time teaching assistant. They provide various materials, experiences, and structured activities to help children develop skills in all areas, including language, motor, and social development.
Our curriculum focuses on fostering progress across the prime and specific areas outlined in the EYFS framework, which include Personal, Social, and Emotional Development; Communication and Language; Physical Development; Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the World; and Expressive Arts and Design.
Through carefully planned activities, we encourage children to use their natural curiosity to explore and learn, whether they are developing their fine motor skills in arts and crafts, building foundational math skills with interactive games, or engaging in storytelling to enhance their language and literacy skills.
The Power of Play
Guided play is central to our teaching approach, as it allows children to learn actively and express themselves creatively while building their social skills. Through thematic, play-based projects, children are encouraged to use their imagination, solve problems, and work collaboratively with their peers. For instance, a project on "The Natural World" might involve outdoor exploration, role-playing activities, storytelling, and art projects - each aligned with specific learning goals that help children build understanding and confidence across multiple areas.
Our teachers serve as both guides and observers, supporting children’s individual learning journeys and adapting to their needs to ensure that each child achieves the Early Learning Goals at their own pace. Through regular observations and assessments, we monitor progress and provide insights that help each child reach their full potential, setting a strong foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
By balancing play, creativity, and structured learning, our EYFS programme reflects best practices in early education, creating a supportive and stimulating environment where children feel excited, confident, and ready to learn.
With close personal care and attention, our students become independent, enthusiastic learners. We enable them to make connections between life in school, home, and the world, establishing a strong foundation for future learning.
A Smooth Start to School Life
Starting school is a huge milestone, and we work extra hard to ensure our new learners have a gentle transition to school life. Parents say they trust us as a ‘safe pair of hands,’ with experienced and caring Early Years staff making their child comfortable from day one.
Almancil is a small school that feels like an extension of a child’s family. Teachers connect daily with parents at pick up and drop off. Parents are a strong, supportive community of friends, and they, too, catch up daily in the car park.