Your child’s first day in the Little Lyons is the beginning of an exciting journey of learning, curiosity and discovery, which will help set them up for the rest of their lives.

Fostering a love of learning

The four pillars of the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) guide all learning in the Little Lyons:

We offer a rich curriculum, following the guidelines laid out in the EYFS. The three prime areas of learning and the four specific areas are taught alongside the Characteristics of Effective Learning. Our Little Lyons children benefit from a specially designed EYFS building with both indoor and outdoor classrooms. They also access the rest of the facilities within the School including opportunities to use the newly renovated Library, multi-purpose halls, an all-weather Astroturf and the on-site school Swimming Pool (from Reception).

High staff to student ratios, and highly qualified staff, ensure that our youngest children are supported and challenged at the appropriate level. The children access a wide variety of activities which have been purposefully designed to build on the children’s learning. Children benefit from daily carpet sessions which focus on Literacy, Maths, Phonics, Topic and PSCHE. Additionally, specialist teaching starts from Nursery with specialist teachers for Yoga, French, Music, PE and Drama. From Reception, the children benefit from our use of Sudbury Fields, John Lyon’s playing fields, where they attend a weekly Forest School session. Children in Reception use the Oxford Reading Scheme and read individually with a teacher every day.

Our partnership with parents

We work closely with parents and build strong partnerships to together support your child to fulfil their potential. There are regular opportunities for parents and staff to communicate with one another including through emails, at drop off and pick up and through Parents’ Evenings. Parents are also regularly welcomed into School for events such as Sports Day and Christmas Plays.

From Reception, children receive a new reading book everyday and parents are expected to support their children with daily reading.

Transition

There is a seamless transition for children from the Nursery to our Reception. Children are given priority in moving into Reception and are joined by children from other nurseries. The children in the Little Lyons frequently engage with the Pre-Prep through playtimes, assemblies and a variety of different events. This enables the children to learn from each other, build friendships across the year groups and prepares them for their next steps at Quainton Hall. Additionally, the staff across the year groups work closely together to ensure a smooth transition by addressing any potential challenges and providing a consistent and cohesive learning experience for the students.

A Typical Day

At Quainton Hall, no two days are the same, with new learning, opportunities and activities continually introduced.

The school day starts at 8.30am (Reception children can be dropped from 8.15am) and finishes at 3.45pm for our Little Lyons and Pre-Prep children. They can attend a breakfast club from 7.30am and our after-school club runs from 3.45pm until 6.00pm in our Nursery building. Extra-curricular clubs are available from Reception and holiday camps run for Nursery children onwards. Details about our flexible childcare options can be found here.

Lunch is served in the Dining Hall and our on-site catering team work hard to prepare delicious meals using fresh and healthy ingredients. Our menu changes daily and can be viewed here.