The Early Years Advantage
Mrs Jean Carter, Head of Infants
People often ask me what are the benefits of sending their child to Heritage when they are still so young. Why not wait until they are older?
The reason is simply that young children thrive at Heritage in the prep classes.
Amidst the noise and brightly coloured, overstimulating, fast moving images in their lives, our low-tech, broad and stimulating curriculum – alongside so many hands-on real world experiences – offers a richness that seems lacking in many Reception classes.
A calm, quiet environment, meaningful tasks, and books that aim to stretch and inspire captivates their interest, imagination and curiosity. This allows our young pupils to make discoveries and connections for themselves, to observe and wonder first hand and helps protect the innocence of their childhood. For these children school is an enriching, interesting and exciting place to be; a place they want to be. What a positive start to a young child’s schooling to see them run into the playground each morning with such enthusiasm and delight as to what’s to come that day.
In History, they are mesmerised by the adventures of famous explorers, dramatic sea battles and the behaviour of British kings and queens of long ago. Inspired by lessons on Early Man, for example, they may in their play work together to design a trap to catch a mammoth. Similarly, in Geography they may choose to construct the Tower of London or the Great Wall of China with building blocks or Lego bricks as they look at iconic landmarks and learn about the world around them, including different landforms, countries and cultures.
In Art Appreciation, young children pore over great works of art and look in wonder as if at a friend when they come across these same paintings in the Fitzwilliam. They may re-enact great works of art in their play, cutting down the long grass, as for example, the workers in The Hay Harvest by Pieter Bruegel. They enjoy listening to traditional tales and classics such as Winnie the Pooh, Beatrix Potter and The Just So Stories and listen to a wide range of music whilst they eat, play and work. They delight in learning the names of the trees and flowers around them, learning to identify them by their shape, texture and colour, and greet them with joy when they are spotted on weekly nature walks, enthusiastically experiencing all the elements of nature by splashing in puddles, creating dams, connecting waterways, building snowmen, raking leaves, and twirling in the wind.
Preparatory class sizes are small and, with a higher adult to child ratio, children become known persons; anxieties can be addressed quickly, activities can be adapted to suit different needs and abilities, children can be more easily stretched and supported and time can be made to follow through with personal interests.
Within the timetable there is flexibility to follow different areas of curiosity – such as examining the life of a spider which made its home in the corner of the classroom, and taking time to find out answers to the questions they really want to know. For example: ‘Do spiders have a belly button?’
Early building blocks in phonics and maths are secured and children can build on these with confidence, many becoming competent readers at a young age. Their habit of attention improves, their vocabulary widens, and the skill in recalling the main points from a story read aloud strengthens. These young children make connections and link their learning, ask questions and think deeply.
This becomes a strong foundation on which to build all future learning. Pupils who have moved up through the school are noticeably engaged in their lessons, enthusiastic about their learning, keen to participate and listen with a high level of attentiveness. They have strong learning habits and a positive attitude towards school.
The early years at Heritage are designed to ignite a child’s natural curiosity and provide them with a rich, balanced foundation for learning. With individual attention, a thoughtful curriculum, and opportunities to explore the world around them, children at Heritage develop not only key academic skills but also a lifelong love for learning. As they progress through the school, they carry with them the joy of discovery and the confidence to approach new challenges with enthusiasm. Starting their journey at Heritage sets the stage for a flourishing educational experience that lasts well beyond their prep years.
