Treetops - Early Years Department
Treetops is home to the Early Years department of Duncombe School and is located within the school grounds. The purpose-built accommodation provides a warm, family atmosphere for our youngest pupils; those between the ages of two and five years. Treetops has its own secure play area and boys and girls who attend morning sessions may stay for lunch, which is cooked in Treetops' own kitchen.
Our primary purpose is to support children and parents through the early years of education. Treetops will offer a carefully managed induction programme to school life and subsequently a broad and challenging education within a happy, caring and secure family environment.
Children join our Early Kindergarten class at the beginning of the term following their second birthday. The Treetops day is divided into morning and afternoon sessions, a full week therefore comprising ten sessions. At the age of two, minimum attendance is three sessions per week and we do our utmost to accommodate parents' requirements. Every half term (ie approximately every six weeks) there is an opportunity to increase the number of sessions attended.
In Treetops, our youngest children are introduced to the joy of learning through a wide variety of both planned and free play experiences. They progress through our Kindergarten and Nursery classes until they enter the Reception class at the start of the academic year in which they will be five.
From Treetops children are gradually introduced into the main school, ensuring a smooth transition into Year 1. The Treetops stage is the first step of a carefully developed programme and children are expected to complete their education through to the end of Year 6 with us. Following an OFSTED inspection in 2005, Treetops was awarded the top grade in every category.
As a parent commented recently, 'You only have to see the children running in to Treetops each morning to know that they love coming to school'.
