Two groups of sixteen, in the two rooms at the eastern end, with two teachers and an assistant.
Most of the morning is play, which is the correct programme for a four year old and not a shortage of ambition. Sand, water, blocks, paint, dressing up, being read to, singing, and a great deal of running about. The structured part is small and specific: holding a pencil, recognising their own name, counting objects to twenty, listening to a story and answering a question about it, and learning to line up and sit down when asked, which is half of what makes the first week of grade one bearable.
The home visit is the thing families remember. Before a child starts, their teacher comes to the house for twenty minutes, meets the child where the child is confident, and talks to the family about anything they want to say. It costs each preschool teacher about six afternoons a year and it is the single best thing this school does. A child who has already met their teacher at their own table walks into the room differently.
Families may stay for the first week and many do. A child who cries at the door on the fourth morning is ordinary and we will tell you so rather than worrying you.
Bring a water bottle, a hat and a change of clothes. There is no charge and there is no uniform in the preschool.