A Day at Jigsaw 

At Jigsaw we follow a national curriculum for all children under 5 called the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS). You can find a parents' guide to the EYFS here.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is based upon four key principles:

 

The Morning

Our Day starts at 9.00am when children are dropped off by their parents/carers. The room leader will take the register to see who is present. Some children find it harder to settle than others, and parents can stay for as long as their child needs them to at the beginning, in order for them to feel comfortable in the setting. Play provides young children with opportunities to learn and develop through doing and talking. We plan and provide activities from children's interests with a range of resources which help children to make progress in each of the areas of learning and development. We also plan "In the moment" and an explanation of how this works is included in the welcome pack

Snack time

Our morning snack bar in the Butterfly room is open between 9.45 and 10.30.Children choose when they would like to participate in this and start by finding their name card which has a fruit or vegetable on it .They post it in the box and then decide what they would like to eat. Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible , choosing and cutting up their fruit and using a knife to spread a variety of different spreads on their crackers, toast or pitta bread. Milk or water is on offer during this time but water is always available  Once finished they are given the opportunity to wash up their plate and cup.

Children in the Ladybird room also take part in rolling snack, this enables a child to choose when they would like to eat & prevents them having to stop their play & learning until they are ready.

 

Playing outside

The children are encouraged to play outside and there are always at least two staff members there to play games and supervise the children. There are lots of opportunities and resources for them to explore  – the outdoor space is fully fenced and secure, with a covered area and a soft play surface. There are vehicles, climbing frame, play houses and a mud kitchen as well as other resources to play with . (like the hands-on pretend fire pit or dinosaur land).

  

Group activities

From September we will be welcoming Jackie from Musical bumps twice a month & welcoming back Super star sports, which have been providing us with sport & dance sessions for a few months now. These special activities cover all areas of our curriculum & benefit our children greatly. 

 

Lunch

Staff are on hand to help if any child asks for help. We encourage children to eat their savoury foods first and provide parents with suggestions for a healthy and balanced packed lunch.

The afternoon session follows a similar pattern to the morning one

This is only a guide to a 'typical' day. We sometimes have themed activities depending on the time of year, and we invite visitors to come into the setting. It is lovely when we have parents or friends of Jigsaw coming in to talk about or show the children something they do or bringing in a pet or craft activity.  If you would be prepared to do something like this, please contact Lesley or Vanessa and they will be very please to hear from you. You will be kept updated on Tapestry & by speaking regularly to your keyperson about the progress your child is making.