Early Years | Hilden Grange

A Leading Early Years School in Tonbridge

Nursery & Reception

At our early learning school in Tonbridge, learners are challenged to unleash their full potential in a vibrant, stimulating setting that promotes growth, builds key competencies and cultivates skills in diverse areas.

The early years are a pivotal stage in a child’s school career; we recognise this and provide excellent opportunities for your child to develop their distinct character, gain critical skills for school and later life, and pursue their unique interests. Supported by talented early years specialists, our learners build solid foundations for success at the pre-prep level.

Our early learning school has two stages: Nursery and Reception.

Why Choose Our Early Years School?

As one of the leading early learning schools in Tonbridge, our goal is to nurture resilient, confident and independent pupils. Our personalised early years programme, led by specialist teachers, covers all the core areas of learning while also catering to learners’ interests and sense of creativity. Parental involvement is encouraged and supported with tools such as Arc Pathway, that allow you to track your child's progress.

Our early years spaces are meticulously planned to promote comfort, calmness, wellbeing and a sense of belonging. Outdoor learning is prioritised at this stage; a custom-built outdoor area and regular Forest School sessions give learners unparalleled opportunities to develop physically and explore the natural world.

Nursery Options

Our nursery in Tonbridge offers morning, afternoon and full day sessions, with an Early Room option from 8am and Enrichment activities until 3:55pm. Children are required to do a minimum of 5 sessions per week.

Morning session: 8:30am to 11:30am
Afternoon session: 12:30pm to 3:30pm
Full day session: 8:30am to 3:30pm

Early Years Curriculum

Our ambitious curriculum is comprised of both child- and teacher-led learning, enriched by topics related to learners’ interests. In accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, our lessons are oriented around seven learning areas, including three prime and four specific areas. The prime areas are Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development, while the specific areas include Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts and Design.

Communication and Language

There is a strong emphasis on stimulating children’s speaking and listening skills. At our early learning school in Tonbridge, learners develop a love of language in its broadest sense and books in particular. This fosters a rich vocabulary and an understanding of the rhythm and pattern of words in stories and the spoken word. Listening is important not only for instructions, but also for understanding concepts and listening to others' points of view.

Physical Development

Physical activity is vital to children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy, and active lives. Gross and fine motor skills are developed using a variety of materials and apparatus appropriate to learners' age and ability. Nursery children have one PE session twice a week with the Head of Girls’ Games and one Games lesson with school PE staff. Reception children have one Games lesson with the prep school’s PE staff and one dedicated PE lesson with the Head of Girls’ Games.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children are encouraged to develop independence, confidence, sensitivity and respect for other cultures. We also provide opportunities for them to work as part of a group, appreciating others’ efforts and understanding of what is right or wrong by following the ‘Golden Rules’ of the school. At our early learning school in Tonbridge, learners follow the ‘Hidden Garden Pre-Prep’ PSHE curriculum, which runs throughout the pre-prep and beyond.

Literacy

This area focuses on reading and writing. Reading in the early years comprises phonics, language comprehension and word reading. Children are taught to read using the Read, Write, Inc. synthetic phonics programme. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech).

Mathematics

Developing a strong grounding in numbers is essential to promote fluency in the necessary building blocks that allow children to excel mathematically. The Maths curriculum provides rich opportunities to develop children’s skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, solving simple addition and subtraction problems, and describing shapes, spaces and measurements.

Understanding the World

This area involves guiding children to make sense of their physical environment and community. Children are taken on trips outside the school to increase their awareness of the world around them. They are also exposed to a wealth of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and songs that help strengthen their understanding of our socially, culturally, technologically and ecologically diverse world.

Expressive Arts and Design

Our little ones play with a range of media and materials. We also provide many opportunities for them to share their ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, music, movement, dance, role-play, design and technology.

World-Class Early Years Educators

High-quality teaching provision is a hallmark of the early years. Throughout the Nursery and Reception years, learners make excellent progress due to our passionate, experienced teachers and support staff, who work closely with children and their parents to deliver tailored, effective learning interventions. Learners' wellbeing is our top priority: our highly qualified early years teachers offer a seamless transition into both the Nursery and Reception years to ensure that your little one is happy and comfortable from day one. The children also benefit from specialist teachers in Drama, Music and PE, providing an enriched multi-sensory experience.

Purpose-Built Early Years School Facilities

Our early years classrooms are specifically designed to support personal expression, discovery and exploration. Authentic resources, such as china tea sets, ignite children’s imagination and help to strengthen their communication skills. Our pupils enjoy a bespoke outdoor area that allows for practical learning and activities, such as climbing the tangle logs, visiting the underground Hobbit House, investigating the water pump, creating a magic potion in the mud kitchen or digging for treasure in the sand pit. They also benefit from an adventure playground, outdoor classroom, heated swimming pool, wooden trim trail and extensive grounds for nature walks.

Activities in Our Early Years School

Activities at our Tonbridge Nursery and Reception are designed to be stimulating and give learners a thrilling, personalised start to their education. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework underpins our curriculum, which combines teacher-led and child-initiated learning, and promotes exploration through open-ended activities. Teaching and activities are meticulously crafted in accordance with the EYFS Early Learning Goals, including Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, and Physical Development.

Early Years Entitlement

Hilden Grange School is a registered provider of Free Early Education for 3- and 4-year-olds. All children (from the term following their third birthday) are eligible to receive up to 15 hours per week at Hilden Grange School, for 35 weeks of the year, regardless of parental income.

We prefer for children to commit to a minimum of five sessions with us per week, which meets the 15-hour threshold. Parents who do not use the full 15 hours may claim the difference through another registered provider. Further information can be found in the below:

Free Entitlement to Early Years Learning as of September 2024

Discover a world of unlimited opportunities at our early learning school in Tonbridge, and begin your child's journey to success today.

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