CREATING A BRIGHTER FUTURE
HORSLEY PLAYGROUP
At Horsley Playgroup we strive to provide a caring, stable and secure environment which will enable each child to enjoy and grow in self confidence through their play, respecting one another and learning to share. We create a space that also helps to support children’s skills and encourages exploration, thinking and learning together.
IT'S ALL ABOUT PLAY
Play is integral to the work of the playgroup - it is the work of children. It helps children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to think.
The playgroup environment supports every child as they play, and carefully planned activities cover the 7 areas of learning of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage, to ensure children make good progress in the areas of learning and development. These activities are based around the children’s interests and the changing environment through the seasons and celebrations that often involve children in preparing food and cooking.
"Play is the work of children..."
J. PIAGET
OUR APPROACH
Our Pre-school follows an approach from Reggio Emilia, similar to Montessori and Steiner, where the children are valued and treated as individuals with their own ideas, desires and experiences, and they are actively encouraged to explore, be creative and develop their ideas in collaboration with other children and adults.
Friendships and warm relationships with caring adults who hold a belief in children’s abilities are fostered. Children are encouraged to make choices and their ‘active learning’ is supported by providing accessible resources which children select independently and through use of open ended resources like clay, play dough, fabric lengths and heuristic (everyday) items. Good relationships and a strong sense of community flourish.
“Children are like tiny flowers: They are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers...”
FRIEDRICH FROBEL
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OUR ENVIRONMENT
Horsley Playgroup is a community, volunteer managed early years setting based in the village hall in Horsley. Our village hall sessions received an Ofsted Outstanding grading in 2015 and Good in 2022. We turn the community village hall into a very special space, a child centred place, transforming it at each session, to facilitate high quality early years care and education for children aged 2 years 9 months to 5 years. We have an excellent range of resources which enables a varied environment to be set up which is continually evolving, and led by children’s interests, play and abilities.
OUR FACILITIES
The facilities at the village hall comprise of a main room that allows children plenty of space to play, with tables for activities and a cosy quiet area with books and soft cushions. There are double doors that allow free flow to the area outside of the village hall that is secured with a fence and the lovely rural outdoor space is used each day. There is a park with play equipment, a hard surface area, a playing field for activities like running and footballs. In the wider community there is access to regular local walks in woods and there is also a small wood area where children experience a ‘forest school’ type approach.
"The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky..."
M. MACMILLAN
Find out more about our approach to outdoor play and learning about risk...
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CONTACT AND VISITING
Please get in touch with us with any questions or queries. We'd love you to come and visit us anytime at our Pre-school and experience us for yourselves... You can either fill in the form below or just email us on: horsleyplaygroup@gmail.com
Or you can call us during Playgroup hours on 07918931851 GDPR (2018) By entering your details you are consenting for us to hold and process this data and send you formation. We will hold it securely and only for the purposes of providing an early years service.
Horsley Village is just up the road from neighbouring Nailsworth and easy to get to from all parts of the Stroud District including Amberley, Avening, Woodchester, Minchinhampton, Rodborough, Nailsworth and Forest Green. We welcome children from all areas...
Just click here for our address and map of how to find us...
OUR TEAM
We are all very happy when working with young children and working together as a team. We feel it is vital that the children feel happy and safe in their playgroup environment, we all greatly value their early years and we will work in conjunction with you to enable each individual child to enjoy themselves and to develop as much as possible.
We hope that you will feel that we are here to help in any way for both yourself and your child and that you can talk to any of us at any time.
NEWS AND ARTICLES
