Access to the outdoors is crucial to a child’s development and the Pre-School has a dedicated play area. Exploring and experiencing the outdoors on a regular basis allows children to connect with nature and gain a practical understanding of the world around them, along with respect and appreciation for their environment. It also provides an inspiration for creativity and curiosity.
All our Pre-School children have regular and sustained access to quality outdoor play-based learning through our woodland sessions at Hutchesons’ @ Pollok Park (H@PP). Regular physical contact with the natural world benefits children’s social, emotional and mental wellbeing as well as their cognitive development. All Children at the Pre-School (pre-schoolers and nursery) spend half their time at H@PP (on Haggs Road) and half their time at the pre-school facility at Kingarth Street. Activities such as tree climbing, shelter building and log dragging are ways of building confidence, boosting self-esteem, assessing risk and promoting independence through hands on learning experiences.
We operate a two-week rolling programme with five consecutive days at either H@PP or Kingarth Street. This provides a balance between both sites, a depth to learning so the children can return somewhere the next day and a routine to follow for families.
A shuttle bus operates between both sites for families who have siblings within the Primary school.
Hutchesons’ Pre-School has partnership status with Glasgow City Council and other local authorities for 1140hrs funding, and operates all year round to meet the childcare needs of every family.
We are open from 8am, with morning sessions from 9am until 12pm and afternoon sessions from 12pm until 3pm for nursery places. Our pre-school year (4+) is available for full-time places only. Wrap Around Care is available each day from 3pm until 6pm.
"Feeling sun, wind, rain, snow and ice first hand is important as it connects us as human beings to the planet we live on. Being in nature stimulates the senses and nurtures a sense of wonder and awe at the processes of life. Outdoor environments can offer different surfaces, different levels, lots of natural features to explore, trees to climb, and bushes and shrubs to hide and build dens in. Different natural spaces can simultaneously ignite creativity and imagination whilst fostering a sense of wellbeing and calm."
