Where we are
Rainbow pre-school is situated within the grounds of Great and Little Shelford Primary School. For further details, please visit our Contact Us page.
Our groups
We run two groups from Monday to Friday:
Sunbeams is our smaller group for 2 to 3 year olds. Children are eligible to join from the start of the school year in which they turn 3 (please note that Early Years Funding starts the term after they turn 3). The maximum number of children in each Sunbeams session is 16.
Rainbows is our pre-school group for 3 to 4 year olds. Children are eligible to join from the September in the year before they will start school. The maximum number of children in each Rainbows session is 24.
Principles
‘What children can do (rather than what they cannot do) is the starting point of a child’s education.’ – Tina Bruce
At Rainbow, we believe that early childhood is a vital phase of development and should be valued in its own right. We believe that:
- Children deserve the opportunity to grow and learn through their play in a safe environment where they feel valued and respected.
- Children deserve to be challenged and stimulated, and to have time to develop their curiosity, creativity, imagination, independence and love of learning.
- Children deserve to play and learn with adults who are sensitive to their individual needs and who work in partnership with their family.
Aims
At Rainbow, we aim to:
- respect each child as an individual, valuing and building upon the contributions that they make and the knowledge that they bring with them.
- develop a caring, challenging, child-centred environment where each child is encouraged to develop positive attitudes to themselves and their learning.
- serve and be part of the local community.
- work alongside each family, celebrating their child’s achievements.
- develop respect for similarities and differences between people.
- encourage sustained activity by allowing time for children to become involved in their play.
- provide opportunities for children to work together or on their own in self-chosen or adult-directed activities.
- develop each child’s self-confidence.
Getting involved
We encourage parents and carers to be at the heart of the life of our pre-school, whether through joining the PTA to help with fundraising, being a class representative, helping out with practical tasks on the premises, or providing professional support and advice. Fundraising is critical to keeping Rainbow open and well resourced and we encourage all parents and the community to become involved where they can.