About Us
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"At Hillside, we prioritise communication and language as the foundation for all learning. Using the Mosaic Approach, we focus on understanding each child’s unique perspective, giving them a voice, and valuing their thoughts and feelings.
We believe adults play a key role in developing children's language skills. By collaborating with families, we ensure children receive the support they need to build confidence in expressing themselves. Our environment encourages self-esteem, creativity, independence, and respect, while promoting problem-solving, kindness, and meaningful conversations.
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We are committed to nurturing a lifelong love for learning, ensuring every child, regardless of background or ability, can reach their full potential. We know that positive adult-child interactions and strong language development are essential to achieving this goal."​​
​​Our Philosophy
Our aim is for children to become:
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Curious, enthusiastic learners with a lasting love for learning.
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Confident in expressing themselves and engaging in conversations.
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Able to use a range of communication methods, including gestures and symbols.
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Creative problem-solvers who use language to share thoughts and ideas.
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Interested in books, stories, rhymes, and songs to expand language and imagination.
As a pre-school, we will:
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Make learning fun and engaging, indoors and outdoors.
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Create an inclusive, language-rich environment where every child has a voice.
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Support children’s self-expression and language development through our key-person system.
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Empower parents to support their child's language skills at home.
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Provide staff with ongoing training and effective strategies for promoting language development.
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Recognise that communication and language skills underpin all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
OUR INTENT
Every child will be welcomed into our inclusive setting.
Everyones individual needs will be acknowledged and met.
OUR IMPLEMENTAION
We will learn from each other and celebrate everyone views, cultures and traditions. We will make adaptations, to ensure that our setting and opportunities for play and learning are accessible to all.
OUR IMPACT
Every child, and their family, will feel welcome, safe, valued and included. We will be positively promoting British Values.
"Every Child Matters"
Our Key-Person Approach
When your child starts pre-school they will be able to build a secure bond with their key-person.
The EYFS (2021) recognises the importance of building key relationships so that children feel safe and secure.
Our staff work in partnership with parents and carers to ensure that their child feels happy, confident and cherished.
Healthy Movers Programme
We are thrilled to introduce our new Healthy Movers programme, led by Miss Kirby.
Healthy Movers is designed to support children aged 2 to 5 years by developing their physical literacy, boosting their social and emotional wellbeing, and encouraging them to become healthy, active learners.
Commissioned by Public Health Dorset in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, this exciting initiative helps children build confidence, motivation, and resilience through fun and engaging physical activities that all children can enjoy at their own pace.
By improving physical skills, Healthy Movers also supports important areas of development such as language, communication, and literacy, giving children a strong foundation for future learning.
We’re excited to see our children thrive with this fantastic new programme!
