The Cubs
The Cubs is the final stage of the Little Leopards journey and home to our Pre-School children.
Situated within our Reception setting, The Cubs provides a wonderful bridge between nursery and school. Children remain firmly within the nurturing, play-based world of the Early Years Foundation Stage, while gradually becoming familiar with the environments, people and experiences they will encounter as they move towards Reception.
The Best of Nursery and School
The Cubs enjoy a dedicated classroom, alongside an additional classroom upstairs, giving our Pre-School children different spaces to explore, investigate and learn.
They also have access to The Burrow - our messy play and investigation station - where sensory play, water exploration, creativity and hands-on investigations encourage children to test ideas, make discoveries and, of course, get a little messy!
A covered veranda extends learning outdoors, while our large garden and wider Dixie Grammar School grounds provide even more opportunities for physical play, exploration and discovery.
Together, these varied environments ensure learning is never confined to one room. Children have the freedom to move, investigate, create, collaborate and follow their curiosity throughout the day.
Learning in The Cubs
Our Reggio Emilia and Curiosity Approach philosophy continues throughout The Cubs, with open-ended resources and authentic materials encouraging children to investigate, create, collaborate and solve problems.
Practitioners work alongside children, allowing their questions and interests to develop into deeper projects and meaningful learning.
Alongside this child-led exploration, our Pre-School children benefit from qualified teacher-led sessions across all seven areas of the EYFS.
We carefully balance purposeful adult-led learning with uninterrupted play, giving children both the skills and freedom to become confident, curious learners.
A Natural Bridge to Reception
Being based alongside Reception and having regular access to the wider school means that the transition towards Reception happens gradually and naturally.
The school environment begins to feel familiar long before a child's first day in Reception, helping to build confidence and removing some of the uncertainty that can accompany this important transition.
For us, however, school readiness does not mean making nursery more like school.
It means helping children become confident, curious and increasingly independent learners who can communicate their needs, manage their emotions, build relationships, solve problems and approach new experiences with enthusiasm.
Part of The Dixie Grammar School
One of the particularly special benefits of being a Little Leopard is that our Pre-School children are already part of the wider Dixie Grammar Junior School community.
The Cubs enjoy specialist teaching in Music, PE and French like all of our Junior School children.
They also have the opportunity to use both the school grounds for weekly Forest School session and the school hall, eat lunch within the school and spend time alongside Junior School pupils. These experiences help children become familiar with the people, places and routines of school life while remaining supported by their nursery practitioners.