: Pre Prep & Nursery :

St. Edmund's has lots of space for active children to grow and develop. A wide variety of opportunities, challenges and experiences is available to our younger pupils as the Pre-Prep and Nursery classes have full use of the whole range of the school's exceptional facilities.

But schools are not all about facilities - the ethos and atmosphere is what distinguishes a truly excellent school. Our experienced staff recognise that self-esteem is an essential foundation for success and our pupils grow and develop in a loving atmosphere. At St. Edmund's we pride ourselves upon the high levels of care that we provide for each child.
A copy of our latest OFSTED report is available. Our Foundation Stage has been rated “Outstanding” in all areas (Ofsted 2006).  

Children entering our Pre-Prep usually join either the Nursery (age 2+) or the Reception class (age 4+) although there are often opportunities for children to join us at other times. It is especially important that our youngest pupils feel happy and secure and nowhere is our philosophy of meeting individual needs in small classes more evident than in our first nursery class.

We aim to provide an environment in which the children's imagination can be stimulated and careful planning equips the children with the skills necessary for their future education. Play is a vital part of a young child's education and it is through play that children begin not only to forge their place within class but to practise, consolidate and extend their previous learning and experiences.

We are fortunate that our enviable ratio of staff to pupil ensures that children receive plenty of one-to-one attention throughout the Pre-Prep Department. The academic programme is designed to stimulate and challenge, but it also instils and consolidates vital basic skills. Each child's progress is constantly monitored and parents are kept fully informed and involved through frequent reports, parents' evenings and informal meetings with teachers. Parents often drop in for a chat at the beginning or end of the day and there are weekly meeting times available to parents who need to discuss their child in more detail.