Well-being

At the Pre-Prep, we actively promote the importance of physical and emotional well-being. Every day, the children enjoy a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise, designed to develop and instil positive habits that we hope will last a lifetime.

We believe emotional well-being is just as important as a child’s physical development. Strong emotional health gives children the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them. We want our children to grow into well-rounded, healthy young individuals. We do this by ensuring that each child really matters, through dedicated teaching time, one-to-one sessions and by our nurturing approach.

We believe that the person in front of us, is the most important person in the world.

Regular calendar events such as the ‘Big Healthy Week’ help support our healthy living ethos, which led to the School being awarded a Director of Public Health Award for healthy initiatives.

Wake & Shake

Physical activity is very important to us. Our day begins with the popular 5–10 minute ‘Wake & Shake!’ session on the playground. It engages all the children (and parents who stay to take part) in a lively and enjoyable way as they learn easy dance routines set to pop music.

Active Play

We believe young children need regular, physical activity – active play – to develop and grow properly. Healthy, physically active children are also more likely to be academically motivated, alert and successful. We do everything we can to promote active play; the children go outside regularly in order to play or continue lessons and take part in a range of activities and games.

Healthy Eating

Under the leadership of School Chef, Mrs Mortimer, all food is prepared daily, using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients wherever possible. Teachers sit with the children in the dining room and help to serve the food, thereby ensuring that children eat a filling and nutritional meal, as well as acting as positive role models during lunch.

Healthy meals are supported by classroom activity to encourage good eating habits. We frequently involve children in food preparation, talking to them about different foods, where they come from and how they grow. Our popular Gardening Club has a more hands on role, enabling children to grow and nurture vegetables themselves, while Cookery Club introduces the children to a range of different ingredients and dishes and encourages them to try new flavours.

Swimming Lessons

The children from Reception to Year 2, all enjoy a 1/2 hour swimming lesson, every week, throughout the year, taught by a qualified swimming instructor.

Movement for Learning (Physical Development)

‘Movement for Learning’ is a programme of specific exercises that are delivered on a daily basis to our Reception children and as an intervention group in KS1. The programme is in addition to our Physical Education provision.

The programme improves a child’s balance, muscle tone, stamina, suppleness and gross and fine motor movements, posture and control, body and sensory awareness, self-control, persistence, attention, listening, confidence and all round mental and physical health.

'By talking about a balanced diet, growing and preparing healthy food in cookery sessions and by making physical exercise a prime part of our curriculum we are helping the children to develop habits that we hope will last a lifetime.'

Jayne Gilbert, Head, KES Pre-Prep