Les Petits Lapins (the Little Rabbits) is the younger of two toddler rooms at The Gower School. A homely, family-like environment is provided for your toddler, where he or she will receive a lot of attention and individual care from our team of dedicated and experienced staff.
Each child has their own Key Person who looks after him or her each day, every day. They get to know your child and their individual preferences. Your child's Key Person will write a daily diary for you each day, letting you know what your child has eaten and what they have done that day. You can use this diary a two way form of communication to let your child's Key Person know about anything important from home. We produce annual written reports on your child's progress and offer you the chance to talk to your child's Key Person in depth at one of our parents' evenings.
Babies are welcomed into Les Petits Lapin from 14 months old.
For babies aged under two years old, there is a staffing ratio of one adult to every three babies. For children aged over two years old, there is a staffing ratio of one adult to every four children.
There are many new activities that are introduced in Les Petits Lapins, including weekly trips to the library, twice-daily circle time and group storytelling.
The children in this Les Petits Lapins enjoy a lovely bright room with lots of bright daylight and a door straight out onto the garden, where children go to play and take part in exciting activities twice a day. There is a home corner with pots and pans for play cooking, and dressing up clothes and activities. We use natural toys, with hardly any plastic. Some toddler Montessori activities are introduced at this stage and we use heuristic play. All activities are designed to encourage independence.
We do not make the children join in with activities, we set the room out with lots of different toys, games and activities and then encourage them to roam and have the freedom of choice. Children sit in small groups for meal times and activities. We find that they often start to copy and learn from other children, and parents are often amazed that, because of this, their child will not only sit at the table for meals, but also try out lots of new foods!
Children go on regular walks in the local area, including to the local park. Our professional sports coach, Danny, runs a weekly football coaching session for the children and professional musicians, Louise and Sarah, join Les Petit Lapins each week to run music sessions, including guitar, singing and percussion and piano in the music room. Our staff have all been trained in Tiny Talk, and we offer parents the opportunity to find out more about this unique way to communicate with your child through baby sign language.
Protecting our environment for the future is at the heart of the ethos of The Gower School, and we use reduce our waste by using washable, real cotton nappies for all of our babies and toddlers. When they are changed, they are changed into a washable nappy. If you are interested in sustainable nappies, please visit http://shop.nappyeverafter.co.uk/