The preschool room children are aged 3 years to 5 years. Here the curriculum is more structured and requires a higher level of concentration and more mature social skills. In the preschool room, children´s learning is guided by the Preschool Room Teacher who offers weekly one to one attention for phonics & numeracy sessions. During the rest of the day, they receive less 1:1 attention, in order to develop independence, reasoning skills and benefit from playing and interacting for longer periods of time without adult intervention.

At 9MN, we are committed to the long term educational needs of the children. We place an emphasis on increasing social and intellectual development and expect high pre-school standards, where learning is fun, in order to encourage children to grow and develop into well-rounded, open-minded people. We encourage children to question and will do our best to satisfy all their curiosities.

Individuality is vital, we encourage every child to achieve their own potential goals to the best of their ability. It is our objective to maintain high pre school standards, without overlooking the social, physical, creative and emotional growth of each child. It is essential for children to have time to play, socialise and investigate in their environment, enabling them to learn and encounter new experiences for themselves.

Our curriculum for the 3–5 year olds will incorporate the Early Learning Goals as stipulated in the National Curriculum and Foundation stage for learning. However we do not wish to limit the children´s experiences to one particular teaching method, therefore they will benefit from an extensive range of learning techniques and materials, including the highly successful Montessori approach, giving each child the opportunity to extend their learning experiences, benefiting from a variety of theories in order to enhance holistic development.

Children begin mark making in the baby room, by the time they reach the preschool room their marks are distinguishable, and some have begun to clearly form letter shapes. Children learn the sound and shape of the alphabet through a variety of methods with a strong emphasis placed on phonics. A number of our children begin individual reading sessions using the Oxford Reading Tree scheme with the teacher before they join reception year.

We recognise the importance of keeping abreast of the latest developments in education, to this end 9MN belongs to the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, which provides relevant ongoing training for the whole team. Our Manager Tasneem Ramji is also an Early Years Professional who engages with other EYP’s in order to maintain best practice in all areas of the setting.

We have made it a priority to form close bonds with schools in the surrounding areas. School selection is an important and sometimes confusing issue, and at 9MN we endeavour to provide parents with the information required to choose the right school for you and your child. Our children go onto a mix of state and private schools, and through our focus on teaching them phonics, numeracy skills, physical dexterity and writing, they are well prepared for this next step in their journey. The majority of preschoolers have already begun reading before leaving 9 months nursery.

All parents receive detailed developmental records for their child, which can be discussed, at length at preschool parents evenings held in the nursery.

Technology surrounds all of us on a daily basis, regardless of age and has penetrated every arena of modern day life. It has never been so important to remain up to date with developments in the world of Information Technology, as well as maintaining quiet and meditative time away from busy screens.

Today´s child is not only aware of computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones in their environment, but also knows how they function and can determine cause & effect. As they see their parents and carers using computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones & I pods regularly, they are instinctively curious about how they work and what they do.

Every child at 9MN has an opportunity to use child oriented software on the laptop at least once a week. With the increasing importance of IT in almost every industry now, we see this as a vital skill for the future. However, we also recognize that it is our duty as Early Years Practitioners, to prepare every child for deep reading and exploration in order to promote thought & creativity, which can sometimes be stifled by a dependence on modern technology.

As well as using computers, Flips and cameras within role play, the preschoolers are given the opportunity to work on the computer as part of their weekly activities. Children are encouraged to bring in their own educational software and share programmes with their peers. Children explore ideas and scientific hypotheses on search engines with the help of the teacher and print their findings to take home or display in their room.

In the Montessori environment, learning is spontaneous and natural, guided by the childs own curiosity within a prepared environment; the classroom. Each child works at his or her own pace, ensuring their individual developmental needs are met.

Children learn to respect their environment and feel confident about their own abilities and achievements. The Montessori curriculum promotes educational objectives, thus nourishing the childs curiosity, independence and learning.

All areas of learning are encouraged using materials and apparatus, which are specific to the Montessori method:

• Practical life encourages the promotion of self-care, care of the environment and independence.
• Didactic materials are utilised for mathematics, geography & science, building knowledge through tactile materials.
• Sensorial apparatus is used to make abstract concepts concrete, providing the opportunity for children to explore their senses.
• Creativity is enhanced through the manipulation of a variety of mediums.
• Language & literacy needs are met through a step by step process towards reading & writing.
• Children develop respect for the natural world, allowing for the holistic development of the child.

By this stage most children have fallen into a natural, comfortable routine both at home and at nursery, so they feel comfortable, safe and understand and anticipate their fun filled day ahead with our 9MN family.

An example of a typical day at 9 months is provided below:

In the preschoolers room, our children are fully confident with serving and feeding themselves all types of food. Every meal is lovingly prepared by our experienced & qualified cook, who communicates closely with all parents, in order to discuss their child´s dietary requirements.

All our dishes are made with fresh & natural produce and we never use a microwave or ready meals. We endeavour to introduce a varied and multicultural menu in order to increase their palate and stimulate their taste buds.

Click here to download the menu for week 1.

Click here to download the menu for week 2.

Click here to download the menu for week 3.

Click here to download the menu for week 4.