As parents, we want to give our children the best opportunities in life, to enable them to develop and grow in the environments that give them the best level of support. From choosing the right swimming teacher to deciding which school is best for your child, there are lots of crucial decisions to make.

A lot of parents deliberate over whether or not to select an Early Years facility for their child. At Gateways, we have seen how much benefit children get from attending our Early Years provision which includes The Gatehouse Nursery (for ages 2-3 years) and Littlegates (for ages 3-5 years) which includes Pre-Reception and Reception.

These are some of the main benefits:

Improved communication skills

Children who attend an Early Years facility generally start school with advanced communication skills, as teachers spend time working with children on their language development and use games and resources to enhance vocabulary, understanding and listening skills. If children have advanced language skills when they start school, this gives them a great foundation to progress across all areas of their education.

Developing an interest in learning

Being in an Early Years setting will help children get used to learning and understand the structure involved in going to school. They start to develop interests at a very early age, so attending an Early Years facility will help to build a lifelong passion for learning and enable them to explore their personal interests and talents. Children are introduced into education in a fun way at the Early Years stage, so there is a gradual change from play to more structured types of activities.

Social development

Another of the key advantages of attending an Early Years setting is that your child will have plenty of social interaction with other children their age and will find it easier to communicate and engage with their peers if they are doing it at this early stage in life. They start to learn about friendships, playing together, turn taking and sharing which will be hugely beneficial when they start school.

Easier transition into school

The transition from Early Years education into school is much smoother when children are used to the routine and the learning environment. When the Early Years provision is based on the same premises as the school the children have already adapted to their surroundings and the routine of going to school. Children will also have made some friends at their Early Years setting who will move up into school, so the process is less daunting with familiar peers that they already have relationships with. They will also recognise other pupils from being on site and will see some of the older children as role models or leaders from seeing them at school events such as whole school assemblies and fundraising events such as Children in Need.

We see all of these benefits when children attend our Early Years departments at Gateways

If you would like to find out more about our award-winning Early Years provision and the unique learning experience that it provides children with before they join school, book a visit today.

Book your visit now.