Infant School
A Learning Journey 14
by Victoria Thomas, Head of Nursery and Sonya Stevens, Head of Reception
In the Infant School, we are committed to ensuring that our children experience their learning journey in a stimulating environment. Last term saw an exciting development – the opening of a fabulous new early years playground.
The anticipation was palpable at the opening ceremony in January. As we ceremoniously cut the red ribbon, the children streamed onto the playground eager to explore and experiment. Choosing the correct play equipment was a big decision and we looked in detail at the curriculum and the needs of our children to plan a space which will maximise learning opportunities. There are many interesting features to be found in the playground. The loud speaker system includes two speaking and listening posts and an underground tube linking the two. Designed to develop cooperative play and sensory stimulation, the children have had great fun experimenting with outdoor communication. The large climbing frame situated in the middle is called the Orang-utan Jungle Climber. This piece of equipment is designed to be very open-ended, having no beginning or end. It promotes climbing and agility and certainly ticks the
boxes when promoting areas of physical development in our curriculum. Following on from the climber there is a series of balance beams, cross beams, log walks and a rocking log that help promote co-ordination, balance and develop core strength. To ensure that our outdoor learning environment meets the needs and interests of all our children, there are also other pieces of equipment to be found dotted around the playground. There are two sandpits, a water station, boards for mark-making and opportunities for the children to thread and build dens. We offer sincere thanks to the PTA for its generous contribution towards the financing of the project; to Mrs Chandran for her clever budgeting; and to Facilities Manager Claren Chong and Assistant Facilities Manager Toh Choon Weak for advice and support with the technical and logistical elements of the project.