Pre-Prep

Squirrels Pre-School accepts children from the age of three, up until they start their Reception year.

Pre-school children (children turning four years old between 1 September and 31 August)
We recommend that pre-school children attend Squirrels for a minimum of three sessions in the Autumn term and increase to four sessions in the Spring and Summer Terms.

Children may attend morning sessions and stay for lunch, or they may stay all day. This depends on availability and the age of the child.

We are open Monday to Friday throughout The Paragon school year. Visit our Parent Hub for term dates. 

We accept the Early Years entitlement vouchers which are applicable until the end of the term after the child turns five. We will claim the grant on your behalf.

Once a child attends Squirrels full-time, the school sibling discount applies.

In Reception, we extend your children’s early learning experiences with a creative, exciting and engaging curriculum. We explore our topics throughout the year using practical, hands on experiences to establish a firm foundation upon which your child will build their future learning.

Daily Routine: Morning lessons: Maths and English sessions involve short class input on the carpet, followed by group activities on the subject. Each week children work with their class teacher and teaching assistant and engage in independent learning.

Afternoon: We provide consolidating activities for the children helping them to independently make sense of their learning.

Specialist Lessons: The children have specialist Games, PE, Music, French and Art lessons taught by specialist teachers during the week. All pupils have weekly swimming lessons at Prior Park College. 

Snack and Lunches: Please send a small healthy snack each day. This should be enough to keep tummies full until lunchtime! The children are encouraged to drink water throughout the day.

We encourage all children to have a hot lunch or to choose a lunch from the cold counter, with support. At lunchtimes we sit with the children to help them cut up their food and ensure that they have plenty to eat. Our weekly menu is available on the school website and will also be displayed on classroom notice boards.

 In Year 1, children blossom into confident learners. Your child will have learned the basics in Reception and now is the time to cement those skills, ready for future use. We seek to guide your child from the play-based environment of Reception, to the more structured learning of Year 2, with plenty of fun along the way.

Year 2 is your child's final Year in the Pre-Prep, where we begin to foster an independence and readiness for joining the Prep. We encourage the children to begin the year by carrying their own bags into the classroom each morning and unpacking the items they need for the day, such as reading books, snacks and water bottles. As the children are at the top end of the Pre-Prep department now, it is lovely for them to help and support the younger children in the school.

All pupils in Years 1 and 2 will benefit from French, music, art and games, taught by specialist teachers.  Swimming lessons take place weekly at Prior Park College, during the school day. 

The curriculum is supported by an exciting range of trips which take place each term to support topic work.  Children visit destinations such as  Bath City Farm, Bristol Aquarium, SS Great Britain, Swindon's STEAM museum and our neighbour, Prior Park Garden Centre.

There is a variety of exciting clubs for children in the Pre-Prep to enjoy, from Sewing Club to Lego, Sing Out - our Parent & Child Choir, Comic Club and Woodland Explorers Club, to name but a few. 

All children attend lessons with specialist teachers, enjoying lessons in our bespoke art studio with Ms Alex Hucks where they might create a masterpiece in clay, try their hand at printing, or sew a journey in a multi media collage.

PE and Sport are timetabled from Pre-School and children can frequently be seen practising their cricket skills with mini Fluro Bats, dribbling a hockey ball or developing core strength in gymnastics lessons. All pupils enjoy swimming lessons which are taught at Prior Park College. 

In addition to Music, which is included as part of our curriculum, children are encouraged to learn to play an instrument, whether taught in school by our team of peripatetic teachers or at home. There are many opportunities for all musicians at school to be involved in concerts, performances and showcase events. 

Nothing is more important than the wellbeing of the children. We want every child who comes to The Paragon to feel loved, encouraged and valued for who they are, regardless of their ability in the classroom or on the playing field. Above all, we want the children to feel safe. Our pupils are well looked after and secure, which means they are more likely to come to us for help with a problem. Our strong relationships with parents enable us to discover any difficulties quickly and work together to resolve them. 

Central to our wellbeing philosophy is that children thrive in an environment where they learn to treat one another with respect, kindness and love so that 'The Paragon Way' underpins our approach to wellbeing. It reinforces the school's philosophy and encourages constructive, positive behaviours and a harmonious community. The Paragon Way is characterised by the following values:

• Kindness
• Compassion
• Honesty
• Self-belief
• Aspiration