Pre-School - launching September 2025

Our unique ‘Pre-School’ offer, led by a fully qualified teacher, will provide the same warm and nurturing environment as the Bickley Park Nursery. Play-based learning will meet early academic preparation when its first cohort joins in September 2025.  

The Early Years Framework which is taught throughout the Bickley Park Nursery, Pre-School and Reception years, focuses on exciting ‘hooks’ and progressing themes to instantly engage the children in their learning and develop their imaginations.  

With an in-take of rising 4 year-olds, the Pre-School creative curriculum has been carefully designed with engaging and inspiring topics to ease the transition from Nursery into the more formal Reception year, giving children the confidence, independence, and learning foundations that they need to thrive. 

Specialist Teaching 

The specialist teaching in the Pre-School will focus on a number of areas: 

• Qualified Early Years educators will concentrate on pre-reading and writing skills that develop children’s phonological awareness, speaking and listening skills. Using a variety of high-quality literature, the children develop these skills through games, sensory play, circle times, storytelling and early writing. 

• Early mathematical understanding is developed through hands-on, practical learning guided by trained Early Years Maths specialists. Children explore subitising in order to develop number sense and understanding of number composition. Alongside this they will also develop their knowledge of patterns, shape, and problem-solving in ways that are fun, purposeful, and directly linked to their everyday world. 

• Specialist language teachers introduce Spanish through songs, games, and immersive activities. This gentle, fun exposure not only enhances communication skills but also encourages openness to different cultures and ways of thinking from a young age. 

• Music and Art specialists lead Performing and Visual Arts lessons to develop creativity, listening, memory, and expressive confidence. From singing and instrument playing to creative movement and artistic expression children discover the joy of performing and visual arts, a key part of early cognitive and emotional development. 

• A ‘Sports for All’ philosophy ensures that Games, Gymnastics and Movement take place on a weekly basis. Additionally, Forest School specialists lead regular sessions in a fully kitted-out onsite Forest School area where children learn life skills, including fire safety, knot-making and woodwork.  

Parents seeking more focused preparation, as the perfect stepping stone between Nursery and Reception, now have this new enhanced offer in our Pre-School.

Many families feel that the jump from Nursery to Reception can be quite significant so our Pre-School will fill that gap, fostering emotional readiness, curiosity, as well as pre-literacy, numeracy and other subject specialist skills in a way that’s fun, gentle, and developmentally appropriate. 

We are holding a Saturday Stay & Play on 20th September.  Book HERE. We'd love to meet you.

Parents are advised that there is currently a waiting list for the Pre-School, however this is an opportunity to visit and get applications in early for 2026.