Preshil - The Margaret Lyttle Memorial School

The Preshil Kindergarten follows the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate. Children’s learning is carefully planned to broaden and extend their experiences through intentional and guided inquiry with teachers, resulting in a free-flowing program. The program is delivered by a teaching team, and consists of a balance of collaborative projects, PYP Units of Inquiry and Playworlds, small-group teacher-led experiences and free play throughout the daily routine, with a focus on smooth transitions. Children are encouraged to learn by observing, questioning, discussing, wondering, doing, making, collaborating and expressing their thinking in ways that reflect their individuality, strengths and creativity. A love of books, stories, role play, reading and writing are cultivated and form the basis of Literacy, Numeracy and Science. Specialist Philosophy, Art, Music, French and Dance teachers work with the children each week alongside the core program.

The importance of self-esteem, community, thinking skills, conceptual development and the sense of self and others, forms the basis of our program. Preshil’s teaching approach is informed by current theory and research, enabling us to work innovatively with the children to challenge and develop their ideas and understandings in the context of imagination, creativity and play. The Playworlds model sees children, together with their teachers, create shared imaginary situations, engaging in imaginative play as a platform to investigate everyday experiences and develop conceptual understandings. Imagination allows children to develop important symbolic representation and creative, critical and abstract thinking skills. Safe risks are encouraged in play and learning where children can ‘be courageous’, supported to feel proud and confident as they grow and learn more about their world and their place in it.

Family involvement is an important theme throughout children’s time at Arlington (both at the Kindergarten and Primary Years), with a strong community supporting various events, projects and celebrations. The Preshil commitment to ‘rights with responsibilities’ begins in the kindergarten and fosters principles of mutual respect and cooperation, while learning in, about, and for our environment.

Children can be enrolled in the Kindergarten from their third birthday. Families can select their preferred days for attendance which can be a minimum of two days, for three year olds, and a minimum of three days for four year olds. Each day begins at 9.00am and finishes at 3.15pm. Preshil offers an extended day  from 3.15pm when the kindergarten children join the children in the primary school for the aftercare program run by Kelly Club.