Children develop their own theories so they can make sense of the world and they explore these theories with their friends. At Reflections we listen to their ideas and take them seriously and we help facilitate their research. Their work tends to turn into long-term projects which we support over many months, deepening their learning and provoking new ideas. We give the children lots of time to think about and reflect on their learning and plan the next steps.

We draw our inspiration from the pre-schools of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy. These schools are world famous for providing children with the very best in childcare and education. We also draw much inspiration from the forest nurseries of Denmark, world-renowned for their wonderful outdoor work with young children. We work too with the Early Years Foundation Stage - the national guidance for working with children from birth to five. So we give children the opportunity to develop across as many areas of learning as possible.

Our Reggio-inspired approach has led to many projects that have developed from the children’s ideas and observations and supported by thoughtful and caring staff. Here you can see an online portfolio of just a selection of these child-led projects.

Hole, by Reflections Small School

‘Hole’ by Small School (children aged 4-7)

During our year-long focus on Mechanics and Engineering (2018-19) we decided to explore printmaking – a creative language with mechanical processes and powerful visual effects.

We set up an Atelier of Print and Communication in Small School and invited the children to experiment with a wide range of materials. The book ‘Square’ by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen inspired the children to use their new expertise to make a printed story.

Combining illustrative printmaking, sentence formation, collaborative story-making and a keen sense of right and wrong, 'Hole' is a monochrome delight.