Bright Beginning

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Five programmes, from a child's first year to the edge of big school. Here is how a morning unfolds in each one — what happens, for how long, and why.

PROGRAMME 1 OF 5

Mother-Toddler

1–2 yrs · with a parent 1 hr 15 min
A little girl showing her paint-covered hands

The shape of the day

Arrival and Free Play Circle Time Sensory Exploration Movement Play Snack and Chat Goodbye Song
  1. Arrival and Free Play

    15 min

    Parents and children come in together, settle on the mat and explore what's out — baskets of real objects, stacking toys, soft blocks. Educators greet each pair by name and let children warm up in their own time.

  2. Circle Time

    15 min

    Everyone gathers in a ring. Hello song with names, action rhymes, lap bounces, scarves and shakers. Parents sing along, which is how children learn it's worth joining in.

  3. Sensory Exploration

    20 min

    One set-up each week — water and cups, dough, rice trays, paint on big paper, natural materials. Educators show parents what to notice and how to narrate rather than direct: you squeezed it, it changed shape.

  4. Movement Play

    15 min

    Crawling tunnels, low steps, soft climbers, balls and push toys. Children practise balance and coordination while parents stay close by.

  5. Snack and Chat

    10 min

    Children eat together on low tables. Parents sit alongside, and this is where educators answer the real questions — sleep, fussy eating, tantrums, what's normal.

  6. Goodbye Song

    5 min

    One story, one closing song, and out.

PROGRAMME 2 OF 5

Playgroup

1.5–2.5 yrs 2 hr 15 min
Two children smiling and waving

The shape of the day

Welcome and Settling In Circle Time Exploration Stations Sensory and Movement Play Snack Time Story and Goodbye
  1. Welcome and Settling In

    20 min

    The hardest part of the day is the gate. Children are met by name, helped with bags and shoes, and given time to arrive at their own pace. The room is already set up and waiting — soft music, familiar materials, a lap if one is needed.

  2. Circle Time

    10 min

    A short gathering to mark the start of the day together. Good morning song, names called, a rhyme with actions, and a look at what's out on the tables. Kept brief, because at two, sitting is hard work.

  3. Exploration Stations

    45 min

    Three or four open invitations set up around the room — water and scoops, dough and tools, paint and big paper, a basket of real objects to sort. Children move between them freely. Educators sit alongside, naming what they see and stretching language: you poured it, it's spilling, where did it go?

  4. Sensory and Movement Play

    30 min

    Time in the garden or the indoor movement area. Climbing, tunnels, balls, ride-ons, sand, water. This is where balance, coordination and confidence in the body are built.

  5. Snack Time

    20 min

    Children wash hands, sit together and eat. Educators eat with them, talk about the food, and let children serve themselves as far as they can. Independence starts with a spoon.

  6. Story and Goodbye

    10 min

    One story, one song, and a look back at the day in simple words. Then bags, shoes, and out to a familiar face at the gate.

PROGRAMME 3 OF 5

Nursery

2.5–3.5 yrs 2 hr 45 min
Children sitting in a circle on a colourful rug, holding hands

The shape of the day

Welcome and Free Play Circle Time Station Time Outdoor Play Snack Time Reflection Time
  1. Welcome and Free Play

    15 min

    Children arrive into a room that's ready for them — music playing, materials laid out, friends already at work. Educators greet each child individually and let them choose where to begin.

  2. Circle Time

    15 min

    A daily gathering that builds the class as a group. Simple yoga and stretches, rhymes and finger plays, a story, and a conversation about what we're exploring this fortnight. Children begin to speak in front of others here.

  3. Station Time

    55 min

    Three or four stations planned around the current unit — sensory trays, fine motor work, a read-aloud corner, painting or collage, pretend play. Educators observe closely and record what children say and do, which shapes what appears the following week.

  4. Outdoor Play

    30 min

    Running, climbing, digging, riding and chasing. Obstacle courses, balance work, ball games and plenty of unstructured time. Gross motor skills, and the social negotiation that comes with a shared slide.

  5. Snack Time

    20 min

    Hands washed, table set, food shared. Educators model healthy habits, talk about what's in the tiffin and where it comes from, and encourage children to pack up after themselves.

  6. Reflection Time

    15 min

    The class gathers to look back. What did we make? What surprised us? Children share, listen to each other, and close with a unit rhyme or a story.

  7. The Bell Goes Off

PROGRAMME 4 OF 5

Junior Kindergarten

3.5–4.5 yrs 3 hr 15 min
Four children laughing as they build a tower of colourful blocks

The shape of the day

Welcome and Free Play Circle Time Station Time Outdoor Play Snack Time Inquiry and Project Work Reflection Time
  1. Welcome and Free Play

    15 min

    Children come in, put away their own bags and bottles, and settle into the provocations set out that morning — often something new left deliberately on a table to be discovered.

  2. Circle Time

    20 min

    Yoga and breathing, phonics songs, rhymes and a shared read-aloud. Then the day's thinking question, tied to the unit: what makes something float? who helps us in our neighbourhood? Children's answers are written up and returned to later in the week.

  3. Station Time

    60 min

    Four stations, one of them educator-led. Early literacy and number work sit here — but as sorting, building, matching, mark-making and storytelling, not worksheets. Sensory, art, construction and dramatic play run alongside.

  4. Outdoor Play

    30 min

    Climbing, balancing, ball skills, obstacle courses and free running. Also digging, watering and looking after the garden, which ties directly into the units on the natural world.

  5. Snack Time

    20 min

    Children serve themselves, eat together, and clear their own places. Conversation is part of the point — this is where a lot of language and friendship happens.

  6. Inquiry and Project Work

    35 min

    Extended time on the current unit. Children work in small groups on something that carries across days — building a model, documenting a discovery, painting a shared mural, testing an idea from circle time. Educators document with photos and notes.

  7. Reflection Time

    15 min

    Groups share what they worked on and what they'd try next. Children begin to talk about their own thinking, not just their doing.

  8. The Bell Goes Off

PROGRAMME 5 OF 5

Senior Kindergarten

4.5–5.5 yrs 3 hr 30 min
A smiling boy at a table with books and pencils

The shape of the day

Welcome and Free Play Circle Time Literacy and Numeracy Stations Outdoor Play Snack Time Inquiry and Project Work Reflection and Journalling
  1. Welcome and Free Play

    15 min

    Children arrive independently — bags, bottles, name cards, attendance. Then straight into books, construction or an unfinished project from yesterday.

  2. Circle Time

    20 min

    Yoga and mindfulness, phonics and blending games, calendar and weather, and a shared discussion on the unit. Children take turns leading parts of the routine.

  3. Literacy and Numeracy Stations

    60 min

    Focused small-group work with an educator, rotating through reading, writing and mathematical thinking. Hands-on and concrete — counters, number lines, sound cards, journals. Children work at the level they're actually at, not at the level of the page.

  4. Outdoor Play

    30 min

    Games with rules, team challenges, obstacle courses, gardening and free play. Fairness, turn-taking and losing well are learnt out here more than anywhere else.

  5. Snack Time

    20 min

    Independent eating, clearing and tidying. Educators use the time for conversation about food, health and the day ahead.

  6. Inquiry and Project Work

    50 min

    The heart of the SKG day. Small groups pursue a question from the unit over days or weeks — researching, building, drawing, interviewing, testing and revising. Work is documented and displayed, and children present it to the class.

  7. Reflection and Journalling

    15 min

    Children record the day in their own journals through drawing and emergent writing, then share with the group. This is where they learn to look back at their own learning and say something about it.

  8. The Bell Goes Off

ADMISSIONS OPEN FOR 2026–27

Not sure which programme fits? Come and see.

Visit during a morning session, watch a circle time, and talk to us about your child. We'll help you find the right room for where they are now.

A smiling boy resting his chin on his hands at a classroom table
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