Welcome to Totterdown Preschool

 

Our passion lies in children and the Early Years. We whole heartedly believe that the first few years of a child’s life, and the people that share it, shapes their future, and as such their experiences should be as stimulating and motivating as possible. It is our intention to provide stimulating, exciting, fun and purposeful play opportunities that, coupled with high expectations will result in children achieving their potential and getting the start they need in order to thrive both socially and at school and beyond.

 

We cater for children aged from 2-5 years. For the two year olds it is essential that our preschool is warm, cosy and inviting. A home away from home, where the children feel safe and loved.  A happy place where they are nurtured and able to explore at their own pace. For our older children, the environment will be stimulating and motivating filled with purposeful play opportunities.  The key to successful learning is the curiosity to find out how and why; to be able to take risks in a safe, happy and caring atmosphere, where there is no fear of failure; and to make connections with the people and environment that they live in.

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Every day will be an adventure with the children taking us on a journey, as well as us taking them on to the next stage of learning.  Our aim is to make sure that the children will experience all the curriculum elements in one day, every day. They can sing and dance, paint and build, count and listen, climb and run, play and imagine. We want the children to be banging on the doors, eager to find out what adventures they will be having that day, and when they are picked up, bursting with excitement about what they have learnt and discovered. We want children to go home tired, smiling and bursting with tales of the fun they had learning.

 

A bit about us…

 

Claire Childs

 

I have been a teacher for 25 years, I specialised as an Early Years teacher and have taught Nursery through to Year 2.

I have two children, Joseph who is 15 years old and Ella who is 12.  Watching them grow and develop has only fuelled my desire to own my own preschool. I feel passionately that early years education should be of the highest quality as it is laying the foundation for the rest of their school life.

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Shamira Lumsden

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I have been a teacher for 21 years, I first specialised in Early Years but have also taught in years one and two.

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I have two children, Aniya who is 16 and Arun who is 13. After having sent both children to two different preschools, I became aware that provisions wildly differ. I truly feel that children of a young age learn so much and providing them with a range of stimulating and exciting opportunities is a must.

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We are both qualified first aiders as well as having completed our Safeguarding and Prevent training.

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We want the children to leave Totterdown Preschool with a curiosity of their world, a high self-esteem, a sense of community and a ‘can do’ attitude. This will ensure that they are independent learners and ‘school ready!’

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‘A child’s future depends on the support that they get in their early years’ (Dr Elizabeth Kilbey 2016) advocate of having a qualified teacher in every preschool by 2020.