Welcome to Kindergarten – the outstanding pre-school offer at Fairfield Prep School
Our Kindergarten is much more than just a pre-school – it’s an exceptional foundation for your child’s learning journey. As part of our independent prep school, we provide a warm, nurturing environment where children thrive. We have invested in a new, purpose-built home for the youngest members of our Fairfield family, ensuring they receive the very best start.
Why choose our pre-school?
- Outstanding pre-school offer – The perfect first step in school life.
- 30 hours government funding accepted – High-quality early education with financial support.
- Fully qualified teachers – Experienced educators guiding your child’s development.
- Specialist subject teachers – Yoga, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Forest School, and PE.
- Purpose-built facilities – Dedicated dining room, kitchen, and three spacious classrooms.
- Engaging learning spaces – Indoor and outdoor free-flow learning environment.
- Sensory room – Interactive cinema-standard projection for an immersive learning experience.
- Holistic learning approach – Encouraging curiosity, creativity, and independence.
We would be delighted to show you just how unique our pre-school offer is here at Fairfield. Book a tour.
Our Approach
At Kindergarten, we follow the School’s Golden Rule: ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated.’ From the age of 3 years, we nurture each child’s uniqueness, instilling a sense of pride, positive behaviour, and a ‘Can Do’ attitude as they explore and learn through play.
Each child is assigned a Key Person (Class Teacher), supported by Kindergarten Teaching Assistants and Apprentices, ensuring close collaboration with parents and a seamless learning experience.
The Kindergarten Day
The day starts at 08:30 and is structured so that children can be collected at the end of the School day at 15:30. We also offer a safe and fun Wrap Around Care provision, held in the Kindergarten Unit, to accommodate earlier drop-off and later pick-ups of children. The optional pre-school Breakfast Club is held in the Kindergarten Dining Room. It starts at 07:45 and we ask that all children attending arrive by 08:15 at the latest. After the School day ends at 15:30, children are also able to attend After School Club with Kindergarten staff, which runs until 18:00.
Children are welcomed from the age of 3 years. We offer several options including three full day sessions, or depending on availability and interest, full-time. Children may be able to build up sessions before they move up to the Reception class.
Kindergarten is open during term time in line with the rest of the School.
Activities
Children spend most of their time in the exciting environment of the Kindergarten Unit and its outside play area.
Outside the classroom, they have the opportunity to attend our wonderful Forest School to benefit from learning in the great outdoors with sessions led by our Level 3 accredited Forest School Leader.
Kindergarten children also receive specialist teaching in music and singing where the exciting ‘Colourstrings’ programme is introduced; a fun, child-centred approach to learning basic music skills stimulating lots of movement. It is based on a philosophy which seeks to develop and foster an intrinsic understanding and love of music. Please click here for further information.
Modern Foreign Languages is taught by, Madame Tatton, who engages the children in a range of languages, instilling a love of learning in this area.
Physical development is key to every child’s learning and adds further support to gross motor skills. Our weekly PE lesson is taught by our specialist PE staff and yoga is taught on a weekly basis by Mrs Butterworth.
"Those with responsibility for early years provide a rich and stimulating environment, so that children are confident in their surroundings to explore and develop their learning. Staff provide carefully planned activities and opportunities for children to work collaboratively and independently."
Food and Nutrition
Fairfield has a dedicated team of experienced caterers, giving us with complete control over the sourcing of our food and menu planning and meeting a wide range of dietary, cultural and religious needs. All children enjoy a hot meal including the option of milk in the Kindergarten dining room, with staff on hand to help encourage good table manners and sensible eating habits. Parents are asked to provide a healthy snack and water for morning break time, while School provides a healthy snack in the afternoon.
Moving up to Reception
Children generally move up to the adjacent Reception classes in the September term when they are 4 years old. Towards the end of the Summer Term, children take part in introductory sessions allowing those children moving up, and those children joining Fairfield for Reception, to meet their new teacher and to spend some time in their new classroom ensuring that their transition is seamless and happy.
Information Sharing
We operate an ‘Open Door’ policy at Fairfield and parents are asked to share their child’s successes or concerns with staff as soon as they arise.
Parents can expect to receive regular information via weduc, the School’s digital communication system, and, in addition to specific Kindergarten information, they will receive our weekly newsletter, @Fairfield.
Your child’s online Learning Journeys enables staff to record photos, observations and comments, in line with the EYFS curriculum and to build-up a record of your child’s experiences during their time in kindergarten. This allows us to work with parents to share information and record the children’s play and learning both inside and outside of the classroom.
To find out more about Kindergarten or to arrange a visit, please contact Mrs Willingham, Kindergarten Manager, via email at R.Willingham@lsf.org.
"Leaders provide children in the early years with a wide range of opportunities to explore and play outdoors in well-resourced and age-appropriate areas. "