Our curriculum covers the National Curriculum with English, maths, sciences, humanities, creative arts and IT.
We help children develop holistically with activities to support their physical, emotional and intellectual growth.
Our difference is our flexible, creative approach and personalised ethos.
Our Curriculum
Creative Arts
At Educare Small School, we want our children to
experience a balanced curriculum that allows them to develop creatively and academically.
We see the Arts as a journey which will inspire, excite and develop the skills and knowledge necessary for them to grow as creative people.
We consider the Creative Arts (art, music, drama and dance) to be as important as all other subjects in our curriculum, contributing to the good mental health, well-being and self-expression of our children.
One of the most important factors when I chose my daughter's school was how balanced the timetable was. I chose Educare because without compromising academic standards, the school manages to incorporate Forest School and lots of art and music. My daughter is thriving in this environment. She reads fluently, is good at maths and our house is full of her art work - just how it should be when you are 6!
Forest School
Forest School provides children with the opportunity to play and learn in an outdoor setting. It caters to a range of learning styles and is a flexible and adaptable approach to learning where children learn the important skills of independence, self-esteem, teamwork and problem solving.
At Forest School the children are given the freedom to explore using all of their senses. It is a natural, safe environment where they can assess risk and engage in cross-curricular, educational activities.
All Educare children attend Forest School through Tree House Learning.
Field Trips
Kindergarten, Butterflies and Dolphins
It is crucial for children to experience the wider world. Across the school year, we have a number of field trips to support learning when doing the topic work.
Recently, the children have been to:
Kingston Fire Station, Sainsburys, Bocketts Farm, Isabella Plantation, Garsons Farm, Canbury Community Garden, Hogsmill Community Garden, Kingston Museum and Local Parks.
Starfish
For the Starfish, visits give access to further resources and learning around topics, such as through exhibitions. Actual experience is the easiest and quickest way for children to gain knowledge. Travel from Kingston station and small groups make such trips easy for us.
The Starfish have recently been to:
Polka Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, Rose Theatre, Natural History Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Victoria & Albert Museum, Science Museum, Houses of Parliament, Kingston Library and Museum, a Buddhist Temple, the Bentalls Centre and St Luke's Church.
Events and Celebrations
Events and celebrations create a shared memory, give a structure to the year and mark a step to another level. In their different ways they all give a feeling of enjoyment and an energy which comes from the involvement of the children and the way they are received and supported by parents and other adults. The whole Educare community, children, staff, parents, families and friends come together for some of these events.
Oasis week, music concerts and the Christmas show all celebrate children's creativity and talents through music, drama, art, dance and story. The Summer Picnic in Richmond Park brings us all together to finish off the school year.
Annual Events for the family include the Christmas Fair, Ham Fair and the Summer Picnic.
Additionally during the school year we come together to celebrate The School Birthday in February, our Fun Runs, Harvest Circle, Birthday Circles and Farewell Circles.
Child-Centred Education
School should fit the child, not the other way around.
Personalised Learning
At Educare, children are used to moving on gradually, at their own pace, according to readiness, not what month or year they were born. Children learn at levels which match their development and we recognise that each child develops in a unique way.
Sometimes they work in mixed-age groups in which the teaching and learning outcome is different for each child. This means that they are all learning about the same subject, but there are different expectations for what each child will learn.
Small Groups
Young children learn best when they feel valued, happy and secure. We believe that they will go on to reach their full potential if they are allowed to express themselves in a safe and supportive environment.
Large groups are the norm in education, for reasons of cost and efficiency, but these are not necessarily suited to your child.
Small groups allow everyone to identify themselves as a valued and secure member of the group, ensure a close supportive relationship with teachers and support staff in which children feel confident and motivated to learn and progress.
Fun!
Children learn most easily and willingly when they are actively involved and interested. Our children are encouraged to learn through meaningful, relevant experiences that require them to talk, listen, think, explore, experiment, observe and discover.
We are reflective practitioners: we regularly review our approaches to provide a range of rich learning experiences which will motivate and extend their interests.
As parents of an August born boy we were keen that he should not to be thrust into full time, mainstream education at the age of 4 and found the Educare approach to be a more holistic and organic one; children are able to attend part time and begin their transition from Kindergarten to the Hall not when their birth date dictates it, but when it is developmentally appropriate. Within a couple of weeks our child was known by name by every adult in the school and this adds to the feeling of security, of it being a school family, rather than simply a vast place where education is something that is being 'done to' children. We are confident that Educare is providing a great start to our son's schooling and that it holds fast to the important aspects of primary education.
Balanced Development
Children need to develop intellectually, but also physically and emotionally.
To live well, you must use every part of you well, so we support the children’s development holistically.
Physical Development
The Ready List - is a series of practices inspired by the Alexander technique which we have embedded into our curriculum. Find out more here.
Forest School - Every group attends a Forest School session every week in all seasons and all weathers. We travel by 65 bus to Ham Common Woods. Our sessions are lad by qualified Forest School leaders. Find out more here.
Field trips - We strongly believe in the value of taking learning off-site. All our children make regular trips - for the youngest ones this may be exploring their local area whilst older children are frequent visitors to London Museums and attractions.
Movement Circle - In line with Alexander principles , we have thought carefully about how we incorporate movement throughout the day. Every school day starts with a Movement Circle to ready our body and mind for the day. Find out more here.
Quiet Time - Like Movement Circle, Quiet Time is inspired by Alexander Technique and is embedded into our day. Children and staff take time to lie still and quietly reflect before the start of our afternoon session. Find out more here.
Choice of furniture - We are constantly reviewing the best way to provide a suitable space in which the children can learn actively. We are currently exploring the opportunities presented by making our space chair free. When chairs are used, these are stools and Tripp Trapp chairs which are specifically sized for the child.
Food and water policy - Please view our healthy food and water policy here.
Intellectual Development
Broad, Balanced Curriculum - At Educare, we offer all the subjects you would expect from The National Curriculum. This includes opportunities to learn English, mathematics, sciences, the humanities, the creative arts and information technology. The difference lies in our flexible and creative approach and personalised ethos.
Innovative approach - We combine well-established learning and teaching methods in a unique and common-sense way to promote the balanced development of the whole child.
Nurturing - At Educare we support individual progress using a range of strategies to build on what each child can already do. For this reason, we do not conduct formal tests or submit data to the Local Authority regarding assessments such as SATs and Early Learning Goals (ELGs). Instead, we assess children's progress using a variety of techniques including observations, oral responses, quizzes, 1:1 conferencing.
Independence - At Educare we seek to nurture the natural curiosity of our children by giving them ownership of their learning. This enables them to develop as independent learners with an enthusiasm for learning. Our children are able to organise their own learning effectively, make choices, and interact within a stimulating and creative environment.
Emotional Development
Creative Arts - At Educare we believe that Music, Art and Drama deserve a central place in our curriculum and are vital in the all-round, balanced development of every child. They also equip the children with skills that enable them to release and express emotion and so deliver essential life skills.
Personalised teaching and learning- At Educare, our personalised approach allows us to tailor teaching and learning to support the next steps of each child. This includes individualised extra support for our children when needed. We believe that every child deserves the time and space to develop at their own pace.
Safe Community
Teachers, parents and children need to work together
The old proverb 'it takes a community to raise a child' still holds true.
Involving parents in school activities -The children know that all the adults around them are working together in their interests, in a strong supportive community.
Nurturing relationships - We allow time to help children to understand their own feelings and to manage relationships with each other.
Fostering an early understanding of moral issues and social responsibilities - We encourage our children to think and act for themselves, and as part of the Educare community. Children work and play in groups which cross age, sex and ability barriers, as they will in adult life.
Getting involved in local community events - We are always on the lookout for ways to engage with our local community. Some of our regular events include: a stall at Ham Fair every year; regular visits to Canbury Community Garden; trips to the Kingston Library and our annual Christmas Fair.
Enjoying joint activities in groups of various sizes- We assemble as a whole group frequently, (such as for Monday Circle, Friday circle, lunchtimes, playtimes, birthdays, farewell circles) and work together to care for each other and value our strengths.
