At The Purple Bell Pre-school, we believe children learn best when they are actively involved, having fun and given the freedom to explore.
We follow an emergent, play-based curriculum, so no two days at The Purple Bell are exactly the same. Our educators create opportunities for learning through everyday play, conversations, experiences and discoveries. We provide children with a wide variety of materials, resources and environments that encourage them to investigate, create, imagine, experiment and, most importantly, play.
Sometimes the simplest activity can lead to the biggest learning experience. Building a tower can become an opportunity for problem-solving and teamwork, a pretend café can encourage language, communication and early numeracy, while playing with water can lead to questions, experiments and new discoveries.
Our educators are there to support and extend these moments by joining in, asking questions, introducing new ideas and providing additional resources that allow children’s play and learning to develop naturally.
Throughout the pre-school day, children have opportunities to enjoy arts and crafts, sensory and messy play, imaginative and role play, small-world play, construction, stories, music and movement, outdoor play, early literacy and numeracy, science and discovery, nature, physical activity and much more.
At the Coral Leisure, we are blessed with having the most wonderful outdoor areas and so many beautiful attractions right on our doorstep.
Our activities are flexible and inclusive, allowing every child to participate in their own way and at their own pace. There is no expectation that every child’s creation should look the same or that everyone must experience an activity in exactly the same way.
For us, the experience, exploration and learning that happens along the way is far more important than the finished product.
Aistear – Learning & Development
Our curriculum and the experiences we provide are guided by Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework.
Aistear supports children’s learning and development through meaningful and enjoyable experiences, with play, relationships and children’s voices at its heart. It recognises children as capable and confident learners who learn through exploring, communicating, creating, questioning and interacting with the people and world around them.
The four themes of Aistear are:
Our activities naturally connect with these areas throughout the preschool day. One simple play experience can support communication, confidence, problem-solving, creativity, friendships, independence and physical development all at the same time.
When you see children painting, building, dressing up, digging in the garden, making pretend dinners or getting completely covered in messy play, there is so much more happening than simply having fun.
They are communicating, negotiating, problem-solving, taking turns, developing their imagination, building confidence, strengthening their physical skills and learning how to work alongside others.
At The Purple Bell, we create the opportunities and give children the time, space and freedom to see where their play takes them.
Because in the early years, play is learning.