Kindergarten

Ages 3 to 6

The London Acorn School Kindergarten forms a bridge between home and school, creating a secure and nurturing environment for children aged 3 to 6 years that is safe, warm and loving. Our Kindergartens are mixed age groups, which provide a traditional large family atmosphere, helping children to acquire social and emotional skills through experience, imitation and learning through play.

The Kindergarten curriculum is based on Steiner Waldorf Kindergarten practice. Children of this age learn through imitating the world around them. We aim to provide examples worthy of imitation and nourishing opportunities for children to learn experientially and feel the joy of discovery. We create a space for the child to unfold: to reveal themselves, develop their imaginations, and encourage natural creativity and curiosity.

The strong rhythm, repetition and reverence of the Kindergarten day, week and seasons support these aims. Sensitively structured and regular activities include drawing, painting, baking, sewing, weaving, woodwork, outside expeditions, ring games, fairy tales, singing and poetry.

The celebration of festivals throughout the year guides the child from one season to the next, whilst allowing the children time to wonder, be in awe and have gratitude for the earth, others and themselves.

Since Easter 2022 we have prepared our older Year 1 Kindergarten children for life in the classroom with ‘daily work’ sessions of gentle phonics and numeracy in a classroom setting and this originally ran for just one term. Following the success of this programme we have gradually extended these sessions, now to cover Autumn, Spring and Summer terms from September 2024. This enables us to provide a gentle and supportive bridge across from the deeply reassuring ‘play is work’ environment of Kindergarten to more formal classroom teacher led learning.
Children graduate from Kindergarten comfortable with the journey ahead, in a beautiful ceremony where they display their complex crafts, numeracy and phonics portfolio and where they are proudly recognised by their Kindergarten teachers for their innate qualities and fitness for their next step into full time classroom learning.

“children in early years are curious, confident learners“

Ofsted Report 2023

“Modern life is fast paced, technology and the pressure of early learning is in danger of leaving behind the traditional qualities that we associate with early childhood, imagination, wonder, play and good times.”

The Kindergarten follows a daily rhythm, providing a strong and secure sense of routine, which makes the children feel safe and nurtured.

Kindergarten 2023-24
8.30am Arrival
8.50am Circle Time
9.10am Mini Snack and Indoor Play/Activities
11.00am Tidy up/Story time/ Hand wash
11.30am Lunch
12.00pm Getting ready for Outdoor Time
12.15pm Outdoor Time (Kinde Tree/Garden/Adventure Playground)
2.00pm Pick up or After School Clubs
(NB: School finishes for all students at 1pm on Fridays, clubs run until 2pm)