Eary Years at The Mead (ages 3-5)
Big thinking starts small!
By the age of seven, around 90% of brain development has already taken place. These early years are not simply a starting point – they are where the building blocks for future success are structured.
At The Mead, we treat this stage with the importance it deserves.
We focus not only on what children learn, but how they learn - developing confident, curious and capable learners from the very beginning.
A wide range of experiences, from trips and performances to outdoor learning, builds confidence, curiosity and engagement, supporting learning across all areas.
A strong start in Pre-Reception
Children join Pre-Reception and quickly become immersed in a structured, engaging environment where learning is purposeful and carefully guided.
They begin building strong foundations in:
- phonics, early reading and writing
- number and mathematical understanding
- communication and language
Alongside this, specialist teaching in Music, French and PE, together with a rich programme of activities, self-awareness creativity and coordination.
Reception: building academic confidence
In Reception, children build rapidly on these foundations.
Reading, writing and mathematics are developed from day one through a clear, structured timetabled approach, enabling children to make strong progress and develop a genuine love for learning. Formal lesson structures are in place from the outset with the addition of pockets of time for children to extend their learning with play in addition to outside play.
Our broader curriculum, now including French, Music, Performing Arts, PE and Swimming, is taught by experienced specialists, ensuring depth as well as breadth.
Teaching children how to learn
A defining feature of The Mead is our focus on metacognition – helping children understand how they learn.
Children are encouraged to reflect, problem-solve and talk about their thinking, developing the independence and self-awareness that underpin long-term academic success.
This is where children move from simply completing tasks to becoming thoughtful, reflective learners.
A wide range of experiences, from trips and performances to outdoor learning, builds confidence, curiosity and engagement, supporting learning across all areas .
Capable and ready
By the end of Reception, children are:
- secure in early reading, writing and mathematics
- Confident, developing learners
- well prepared for the transition into Key Stage 1
Many are already working with a level exceeding expectations for the early learning goals.
A nurturing environment with high expectations
Our environment is warm and supportive, but also purposeful and ambitious.
Every child is known, challenged and encouraged to achieve their best, ensuring they flourish from their very first days at The Mead.
