Vision and Ethos

Clapton Park Children’s Centre and Forest School is a safe, exciting, challenging, welcoming and friendly centre where everyone is respected and valued. We have high aspirations for all families, children and staff and we take pride in everything we do. Our aim is to engage all children in a natural learning environment with a Forest School ethos at our heart. We aim to ensure all our learners become confident, successful and independent. 

Four Key Intentions

     In 2022/23 we are driven by four key intentions to improve and build on the service we provide. These are:

1. Identify and plan for underperforming and vulnerable groups through our Little Adventurers Initiative.

• • To ensure that the Little Adventurers trips are taking place every term.

  • To use observations and assessments as a tool to understand what children know and can do, and how we can build on this knowledge to plan appropriate learning experiences.

  • To provide opportunities for the children to build on their confidence and self esteem.

  • To continue to work in partnership with parents to develop children’s learning.

  • To build Cultural Capital within our Little Adventurers and vulnerable children, ensuring they build on different experiences.

  • To have an inclusive approach within the Centre.

2. Develop staff practice by having high expectations with a particular focus on conscious inclusion practice

   • To ensure that all staff have had unconscious bias/conscious inclusion training.

   • To have a rolling agenda point of conscious inclusion during the room reflective meetings every week, giving an opportunity for staff to discuss and reflect on any experiences of inclusive practice.

   • For staff to reflect their conscious inclusion practice within their daily routines, including planning, setting up activities and group sessions with the children.

   • To continue to ensure that the admissions process takes into consideration conscious inclusion:

     1. When allocating places for children we are reflecting the make of the community, having a balance of gender and different bandings.

3. To implement and improve the teaching of phonics within the Centre.

   • To have a staff workshop on Introduction to Phonics to improve the staff understanding of teaching phonics.

   • To deliver a parent workshop on Introduction to Phonics to work in partnership with parents to ensure that there is consistency in learning for the children.

   • To monitor phonics sessions to ensure that the staff have good subject knowledge and are consistent. 

4. Using the Reggio Emilia approach to bring more creativity into the curriculum.

   • For staff to have a good understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach.

   • To have a workshop on Reggio Emilia approach for staff to improve their understanding of the approach.

   • To visit nurseries that incorporate the Reggio Emilia approach to gain an understanding of how the approach can be used day-to-day within the nursery setting.

   • To discuss and explore the Reggio Emilia approach during the Centre Curriculum meetings.

   • To ensure that there is a focus on creativity within the curriculum.

   • To implement the Reggio Emilia approach into our practice.