A young child engages with the world in a direct and interactive manner.  We encourage an active learning approach through which children construct meaning from experience.

Children are given the time and space to explore, investigate and play in order for them to learn about themselves, other people and the world around them. Children enjoy a secure learning environment in which the individual is valued and respected.

Our curriculum is developmental and is based on individual needs and interests.  Learning is therefore a balance between the intellectual, the social and the personal; each is important and interlinked.  Inquiry in the Early Years is demonstrated by wondering, exploring and investigating; theories are verified or modified through play and reflection.

The Perceptual Motor Programme in the Early Years

For many children their main form of entertainment is the television or computer games, which are 2-dimensional.  At Uptown Primary, we believe that movement is essential for learning.  It awakens our senses and helps to anchor new information within the brain.  This is why we integrated the Perceptual Motor Programme into our curriculum.

The aim of the Perceptual Motor Programme is to develop connections between the senses, the body and the brain.  It integrates the left and right sides of the brain, developing spatial awareness, orientation and gross motor co-ordination.  The programme exercises the eyes and works both the body and the brain.  It has been proven to assist the central neuro-system's ability to process information at school.

The Perceptual Motor Programme consists of a combination of core exercises to promote self control, body management, concentration, balance and posture.  The exercises include crawling, rolling, cross-walking, balance beam, trampoline and tunnel crawling just to name a few.