Our Learning Experience and Pedagogy
Most simply, pedagogy is about how we educate children and promote their development using techniques and strategies to provide opportunities for each individuals learning and how our relationships and interactions with children can affect them.
Every child is unique, they are constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and carers.
Children develop and learn in different ways. Topsham House’s pedagogy covers the education and care of all children, including those with special educational needs.
We offer a wide range of educational experiences, which enable children to become successful, lifelong learners.
Weather boxes
Ready to use whatever the weather. Weather can be so exciting and we have weather boxes ready to open to engage children learning about the natural environment. The excitement of listening to rain fall on an umbrella, the force of the wind as it pulls on the kite string or the shapes we can chalk from the shadows of the sun. These all spark a child’s interest in learning and lead on to further activities and teaching opportunities, or even the next generation of meteorologists!
Healthy Tots Accredited
Having achieved Healthy Tots status proves our commitment in creating a culture and environment that promotes health and well-being. It focuses on, healthy eating, emotional health well-being and physical activity. This is embedded in the Topsham House pedagogical approach and ethos.
Soft Play
Not only is it lots of fun and enjoyed by all the age groups, soft play helps with engagement and increased communication and helps children to relax in a safe space.
The soft play can be used as an extra physical play space, when the weather makes it harder for our none walking younger children to enjoy the outside.
The soft play also provides a quiet are for 1-1 and small focused group time.
School Partnerships
As we prepare children for the transition to primary school, we work in close partnership with many local schools. Teachers are able to come and meet the children in the nursery and we share with the school’s information that will aid with the transition process. For children that will transition to Desford Community Primary there is the opportunity to visit the school with peers and nursery staff.
The Daily Mile
Is a social physical activity, with children and staff running, jogging and moving – at their own pace for a full 15 minutes. It’s social, non-competitive and fun. Having burnt energy and awoken the senses the children return to their rooms ready to engage. It helps to improve or maintain. It encourages children to be aware of their health. It’s fully inclusive; every child, whatever their circumstances, age or ability, succeeds at The Daily Mile.
Sensory Play
Babies and young children explore and learn about the world around them using their whole body and all their senses. The more senses that are beginning used and stimulated, the easier it is for them to integrate the information the senses are receiving and start to understand the world around them. Sensory play includes any activity that stimulates your childs senses, touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, sight and hearing. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate and explore. The activities allow children to refine their thresholds for different sensory information helping their brain to create stronger connections to process and respond to sensory information.
Sensory Room
We have created a unique and inspiring room where the children can explore with sounds, light, touch and smell. There is space to relax on a bean bag, enjoy a light display or use the sensory tubes to experience sounds and smells.
This space also enables the children the opportunity to come into small groups to take part in focused activity away from the main groups.
This space can be used by visiting professionals when 1-1 working with a child is needed.
Forest School
Owls room, our preschool children take part in termly forest school sessions lead by our coach from Sports Unlimited. The children visit the forest school site based at Desford Primary School and get to take part in den building, cooking on the fire pit, and building in the woodland. This is also a nice introduction for the children that then move onto the primary school.
