Our Journey: From Chicks to Sparrows 

Our Pre‑School and nursery operates across two welcoming settings in the heart of Howden:

The Church Hall – Chicks (9 months – 2 years)

Nestled in a secure woodland location in Ashes Park, this is where your child’s journey begins. Our youngest children—our Chicks—are nurtured in a calm, natural environment designed to support early exploration, sensory play and emotional security.

Bishops Manor – Robins & Sparrows (2 – 5 years)

At age 2, children transition to Bishops Manor, joining the Robins and later the Sparrows. Here they continue to grow, learn and develop the skills they need for full‑time school. Our team carefully supports each child through this transition, ensuring continuity, confidence and joy in learning.

Once children move on to school, they can return to us for Before & After School Club and Holiday Club right up to the end of Year 6.

 Our Environment 

Our settings are centrally located, easy to walk to and close to local car parks. We offer:

Excellent indoor and outdoor facilities

Free‑flow garden areas

Separate spaces to explore, play, rest or relax

A warm, welcoming atmosphere where children feel safe, valued and excited to learn

We give every child the opportunity to play, learn and explore by sowing the seeds for future growth in our outstanding community setting.

What We Do — And How We Do It

 Our Belief 

Every child is unique. They have their own interests, personalities, wants and needs. We take time to get to know each child and their family, using this understanding as the foundation for a rich, inclusive, balanced and broad curriculum.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum:

Builds relationships and teaches tolerance, kindness and respect

Celebrates diversity and promotes individuality and belonging

Provides a safe, welcoming, exciting environment with freedom to explore

Supports well‑being, emotional expression and self‑regulation

Extends cultural capital and broadens experiences

Encourages curiosity, independent thinking and problem‑solving

Widens knowledge and understanding

Teaches new skills and provides opportunities to practise and master them

Offers new learning experiences

Promotes creativity, imagination and involvement

Sows the seeds for future learning and growth

How We Teach

Our Staff 

Our staff are our greatest resource. They:

Model the skills and behaviours we want children to develop

Support thinking in the moment and encourage resilience

Join in with children’s play, sharing interests and sparking curiosity

Recognise behaviour as communication and help children regulate

Encourage collaborative learning and celebrate achievements

Provide a language‑rich environment tailored to each child

Promote shared thinking, problem‑solving and meaningful conversations

As a result, children feel listened to, valued and respected.

Our Environment 

We offer a wide range of continuous provision, carefully adapted to meet children’s needs. We:

Provide open‑ended resources and familiar toys for comfort

Create inviting spaces for exploration and play

Offer adult‑led and child‑led activities based on interests

Inspire awe and wonder

Allow uninterrupted time to play and consolidate learning

Follow a routine with free play, group times, meals and tidy‑up

Develop pre‑school rules with the children

Engage with the local community—shops, library, schools, Minster and town events

Include parents through sessions, chats, calls, questionnaires, newsletters, EYLOG, emails, texts and social media

Meet all legal requirements

How We Reflect and Improve

We continuously reflect on our practice, welcoming feedback from parents and children. We:

Hold monthly staff meetings and training

Discuss children’s progress daily and act promptly

Follow the observation cycle: observe → plan → do → review

Track children half‑termly

Observe staff interactions and provide feedback

Support staff well‑being, training and professional development

We strive to be better every day.

Curriculum Statements

Our curriculum intertwines the 7 areas of learning, Characteristics of Effective Learning, British values, and local culture.

Our children will:

Build positive relationships with confidence, tolerance and kindness

Learn to manage emotions and support their own well‑being

Become skilful communicators with rich vocabulary

Develop physical skills, independence and problem‑solving

Understand their bodies and make healthy choices

Love stories and understand that print has meaning

Explore sounds, letters and early mark‑making

Develop number awareness

Explore shapes, spaces, patterns and measure

Be excited to explore the world

Care for their environment and living creatures

Be creative and imaginative

By providing thoughtful resources, exciting environments, meaningful experiences and passionate staff, our children flourish—developing a lifelong love of learning that sows the seeds for future growth.