Everyone loves coming to preschool at St Swithun’s in Winchester. It’s a wonderfully happy place where learning happens in the widest variety of ways.
The education we offer to our three and four year olds goes far beyond the core Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for nursery education. We provide children with a range of opportunities, lessons with specialist teachers and the best possible preparation for reception, whether they will be attending St Swithun’s or moving on to another school.
We admit girls and boys following their third birthday. Our preschool children study the EYFS curriculum, but right from the outset, they enjoy a host of other learning experiences including Forest School, an introduction to modern foreign languages, sport, cookery, music and swimming. There is also plenty of time to explore and enjoy the outdoors across our 45 acres of countryside.
At St Swithun’s, we emphasise the individual, and we seize every opportunity to guide a child’s learning through their own particular interests. We encourage the curiosity and awe that is natural in very young children and is so vital in developing the type of enquiring mind which will make scientific discoveries and innovations in the future.
Our highly-skilled and specialist preschool team has decades of collective experience in preparing children for the smoothest and happiest possible transition to the next stage of their education. Our preschool is fully-integrated into the prep school, and staff work especially closely with our expert reception teachers located in the classroom next door. We develop our preschool children into confident and passionate young learners who can communicate well, manage their feelings, learn to respect others and, above all, be kind.
Our preschool has its home at the heart of the prep school, on the ground floor of the light, modern and purpose-built facility. It has dedicated access to our spacious, secure and landscaped courtyard with its sandpit, mud kitchen and water play area. It also has its own toilet facilities. Preschool children benefit from the use of all-school shared facilities including all-weather courts, the on-site swimming pool, performance hall, gymnasium, music rooms, dining room and running track. They are regular passengers on our fleet of minibuses taking them to explore further afield.
Parents enjoy coming to our preschool too and there are plenty of opportunities to share and contribute. We partner with parents in their child’s learning journey, providing daily meet and greet opportunities, daily updates and insights delivered via an online journal, parent meetings and an annual written report.
Our overarching aim is to create an environment which is interesting, motivating and stimulating and which conveys the essential message to preschool children that learning is fun and school is a wonderful place to be.
L has absolutely flourished since joining the preschool, growing in confidence every day. It is a testament to the teaching staff, who genuinely care for each child, treating every one as an individual and welcoming them into the St Swithun’s family. With access to superb grounds and facilities, L is learning new skills and embarking on new exciting adventures. The preschool offers a calm, yet fun environment for children who are given incredible opportunities and enjoy activities such as music, PE, swimming, cooking and outdoor learning. Having lived in Winchester my whole life, I cannot recommend the preschool enough and feel extremely lucky that my daughter is benefiting from such a wonderful place: parent of a preschool pupil
Our preschool hours are 8.20am – 4pm, but with breakfast and after-school clubs, wraparound care is available from 7.30am- 6pm. Snacks throughout the day and a nutritious hot meal at lunch time are provided.
In our preschool we offer up to 15 hours of Early Education funding per week for 3 and 4 year olds. If you would like to find out more, please contact Mrs Sara Mathieson [email protected] or 01962 835792.
