Ashville College is delighted to announce the opening of its new facility for two-year-olds in September 2021, as part of an exciting relaunch of its entire early years provision.
The new Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep is an exciting new environment for young children to play, learn and thrive. It will be made up of Little Acorns (two to three-year-olds), Acorns (three to four-year-olds), and Reception (four to five-year-olds).
Ashville has appointed Mrs Charlotte Cryer as the new Head of Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep to relaunch the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision for Ashville’s youngest children. This has provided a fantastic opportunity to extend and enhance the care and education already offered at Ashville.
Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep is a hidden gem and with Mrs Cryer’s leadership and vision, it is ready to emerge, take its rightful place on the early years map, and proudly show what it can offer your children.
To see the full facility for yourself and meet some of Mrs Cryer’s hand-picked team, an Open Morning will be held on Wednesday 1 September, from 10am to 12pm. To sign up, please visit Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep Open Morning – Ashville Harrogate.
Introducing Ashville’s new Head of Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep
Mrs Cryer has extensive knowledge and experience in a wide range of early years settings in leadership roles as well as teaching across the whole of EYFS, including in Reception classes. The new facility at Ashville is the perfect place for children to take those first steps on their education journey where the magic of playing and learning can continue from your hands to hers, from home to school. Mrs Cryer is acutely aware of the importance of parental partnership and has genuine appreciation – parents are the first and most enduring educators. She has two young boys of her own and so with first-hand experience, she will support and guide you through those first days, weeks and years of education.
A positive and exciting time for EYFS
The opening of the new Little Acorns coincides with new EYFS reforms by the Government. Never has there been such a focus on early years. The Duchess of Cambridge has raised awareness of the importance of the period from conception to five years by looking into the experiences of early childhood, finding they are often the cause of delays and social challenges. Many of the challenges in later life can be tracked back to the early years in someone’s life.
It is an extremely exciting time to be part of early years, with the increased awareness and understanding of the positive impact that access to quality care and education has to equip children for the challenges they will face later in life.
As a Psychology graduate, Mrs Cryer has an added interest in the recent and ongoing research by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and keeping well-informed and prepared.
She says: “It is a privilege to be part of a child’s early life when they are developing so quickly. It is the perfect time to enrich their environment so they become successful learners as well as shaping their lives for physical and mental wellbeing.”
Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep is proud to be playing its own part in providing safe, fun, nurturing, challenging opportunities for children as well as supporting parents and families. The early years research found that the best investment for future health and happiness is in the first five years of life. Ashville Acorns wants to be part of that investment for your child.
Mrs Cryer says: “We want to be part of children’s care and education. We will do our very best to ensure every child in our care has the best possible start to their early years education.”
A new curriculum for the post COVID-19 world
During the last 17 months, young children have had less social interaction and personal contact out of the home. For children under five, this is a critical time in their language development. They have missed out on so many occasions and opportunities to enhance and develop their language skills.
The team at Little Acorns is very aware of the immediate need to extend language interaction and conversation, something that has always been a vital element of EYFS. Now more than ever, early years practitioners are focusing on improving and extending children’s language and communication skills. Conversations, singing, nature listening, negotiating, reading, shouting, whispering, explaining: the list is endless but rewarding. The joy of little voices is a gift to be treasured.
Mrs Cryer has prepared and planned a new curriculum to incorporate the new EYFS. She has designed it to provide purposeful, challenging learning opportunities, while ensuring the adult-initiated learning is appropriate to the age and stage of each child’s level of development. Children’s interests and individual needs will be recognised and built upon. There will be opportunities to problem solve for cooperation, creativity, exploring, demonstrating and questioning.
Mrs Cryer says she fully supports the Government’s requirements to ensure children have a deep and secure understanding of each concept or skill before moving on rather than rushing to the next steps.
She is also very keen to continue promoting the good manners of Acorns children to ensure they remain a positive feature parents frequently comment on. It is important children learn from an early age how to share, care, take turns, as well as say please and thank you. Table manners and helping hands will continue to be encouraged and celebrated.
What will the changes in the EYFS mean to you as a parent?
The changes are being made to improve outcomes at age five, particularly in language and literacy. Here’s a look at some of the main benefits:
1. Reduced paperwork means staff can spend more quality time with your children
This is a welcome change and one we feel gives early years practitioners the professional recognition they deserve. Paperwork doesn’t make an outstanding setting. Well-trained, qualified staff with a secure
knowledge of their key children and the EYFS curriculum are what make a difference to children’s learning outcomes. Staff observe, engage, interact, and question children to discover their interests, and go on to provide resources for independent play and supported activities to help children reach their full potential.
2. A new requirement to promote oral health
While Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep recognises parents are children’s primary carers and educators, we will do our best to ensure children are aware of the importance of oral health by providing and discussing a healthy diet and welcoming dentists in to talk to children about brushing their teeth.
3. An increased focus on wellbeing
The designated early years health practitioner will liaise with parents to keep them informed of all the wellbeing developments offered. Mrs Cryer has lots of exciting new initiatives coming soon, so watch this space.
4. Off to the best start
Early years settings all over the country will be re-evaluating how they track children’s progress and keep parents informed and updated in a relevant and clear way.
5. Inspectors will no longer ask for written proof of children’s progress
Instead, they will expect staff to know their children well and be able to answer in-depth questions about their interests, development and progress. What is recorded will be useful and support effective care and learning. Staff will observe children at their starting points and through their ongoing progression, always sharing with parents to develop that all-important parent partnership.
Mrs Cryer and the team are looking forward to welcoming the Little Acorns (two-year-olds) and the older Acorns (three-to-four-year-olds), as well as the new Reception Class (four to five-year-olds). At the moment, there are spaces in all age groups.
If you are looking for a happy place for your child to thrive and be nurtured in safe hands, come along to our Open Morning on 1 September from 10am to 12pm. To sign up, visit: Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep Open Morning – Ashville Harrogate.
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