The Ladybird Room

The Ladybird room is in the main building downstairs with south facing windows, it is light and bright and attractively decorated with the children’s own work. The children spend their last year before school here and are encouraged to become independent and make their own choices throughout the day. Staff encourage the children’s learning by offering a range of stimulating and interactive activities and resources that appeal to the individual children’s interests. They observe and support the children’s play and assess their development within the different areas of the Early Level of the Curriculum For Excellence.  The room is set up indoor and out using a workshop approach, there is sand, water and playdoh, a messy and creative space, an Interactive Whiteboard, a quiet story corner, construction area, woodwork bench, access to puzzles and games as well as loose parts, a writing table and both role play and small world imaginative play opportunities. The children spend lots of time outdoors exploring the garden, local community, and woods. They are encouraged to value their environment and help to take care of it.

The staff have a clear vision and their roles and responsibilities are well defined. Every child is valued and given a coherent curriculum and broad experience; they are supported individually and within a group. Within the children’s experiences staff observe, identify next steps to achieve, and record and assess the quality of the children’s learning.

Responsive and ‘In the moment’ planning identifies the children’s interests and needs and uses these to enable the children to learn and develop in the setting. Staff observe the children and get to know them which allows them to capture the children’s interests and follow their lead. They develop their skills with a continuous focus on learning. Staff are resourceful and find and find inventive ways to overcome any barriers to learning.