Educational provision for four‐year‐olds

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents an evaluation of provision for 4‐year‐olds in educational settings specifically designed for this age group, namely nursery schools (including one school in a nursery centre), nursery classes and early‐reception classes. All the establishments were located in inner London boroughs. The aims of the study were first, to examine the organization, planning and curriculum on offer in these settings; second, to investigate staff views on the needs of 4‐year‐olds; third, to explore parents’ perceptions of their children's education and fourth, to examine links between the different types of pre‐school provision and infant school departments. The nursery schools, nursery classes and early‐reception classes differed in their physical layout and organization. However, they all had a high ratio of specially trained adults (teachers and nursery nurses) to children, whose aims and objectives were broadly similar. The majority of the classes had a wide range of provision. The nursery classes and schools, however, tended to have more equipment and had sand and water, large apparatus, music and outdoor provision more readily available than did early‐reception classes. Both early‐reception classes had access to a computer. Similar types of provision to support mathematics, English (language and literacy) and science learning were mentioned by staff at the nurseries/classes and the potential for cross‐curricular learning was frequently reported in mathematics and English (language and literacy). A variety of links between nursery classes and early‐reception classes and the rest of the school and between nursery schools and infant departments of local schools emerged, with attempts to facilitate transition much in evidence. According to their parents, the majority of children were coping very well with their work and mixing very well with other children. The most common activities parents reported were: art/craft/drawing, number/size/shape work, play/games, writing/letters and reading/books. The children themselves were reported to like the social aspect, artistic/creative work and ‘play’. Reading/books, writing/letters and number/shape/size work were more frequently reported by parents of children in the early‐reception classes. Listening to stories and sand and water play were more frequently reported by parents of children in nursery classes and schools. These differences are likely to be related to the different policies of the schools and to the different ages and stages of development of the children concerned.