{"id":42976,"date":"2022-11-20T11:24:25","date_gmt":"2022-11-20T11:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/?p=42976"},"modified":"2026-01-16T12:05:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T12:05:58","slug":"the-plus-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/2022\/11\/20\/the-plus-programme\/","title":{"rendered":"The Plus Programme"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take your first steps in early learning: a bespoke programme for babies and toddlers<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Plus is a holistic pre-nursery programme. Guided by teachers, parents on the Plus programme accompany their young children as they take their first steps in early learning. Plus is powered by Alpha Plus Group, a leading London independent school provider.<\/p>\n

Many parents felt isolated during the pandemic years. Post-covid, early years teachers noticed the gaps in children\u2019s development when they joined nursery. This is how the Plus programme was born.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Plus programme includes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"\u2022 Twice weekly face-to-face learn-and-play sessions
\n\u2022 Twice weekly zoom sessions
\n\u2022 Weekly activities to do at home
\n\u2022 Fortnightly talks from specialist guest speakers
\n\u2022 Access to advice from experienced early years teachers, as your child progresses<\/p>\n

The learn-and-play sessions take place in nurseries across Kent (Tonbridge)<\/em><\/a><\/strong> and London (Hampstead, Notting Hill, Chiswick, Putney) @the_plus_programme | Linktree<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Plus team is dedicated to supporting children and their families at this wonderful, pivotal stage in their lives. The team uses the latest child development research to build and adapt the programme for children aged 6 to 30 months.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why engage with a pre-nursery learning programme like Plus?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At this age, children are developing rapidly. Research shows that their experiences during this time will be crucial in forming the person and learner they will become. As young child gains confidence in a nursery school setting with a familiar adult by their side, they are empowered as a learner. They are ready to discover new skills, experiences, and possibilities: ready to thrive at nursery and beyond.<\/p>\n

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) curriculum, which underpins Plus, has been carefully researched and designed so that all children receive a holistic education. The teachers at Plus have an in-depth understanding of this curriculum. They provide professional guidance for parents seeking to enhance these formative years for their children.<\/p>\n

The Plus Programme has been designed to provide rich opportunities for parents to discover and understand countless ways to support their children in their early learning. Other carers, such as a nanny or grandparent, can also accompany the children on their journey at Plus. It\u2019s designed so all caregivers will learn valuable skills and knowledge along the way.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Parent testimonials:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“The teachers are lovely and give each child special attention. I can better understand my child’s development”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“Our daughter clearly enjoys coming to the in-person sessions – there is so much for her to do”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“It feels great being part of a community of parents”\u201cIt feels great being part of a community of parents\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“This is what my baby needed after the lockdown”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5 reasons to take part in Plus:<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the children:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Experience new stimuli
\n\u2022 Socialise with children and adults
\n\u2022 Become familiar with a nursery environment
\n\u2022 Learn through exploration
\n\u2022 Develop their independence<\/p>\n

For the parents:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Gain access to activity ideas for babies and toddlers, planned and demonstrated by teachers
\n\u2022 Meet other parents
\n\u2022 Access an exclusive parenting programme with workshops led by specialists
\n\u2022 Gain an understanding of your child\u2019s early educational experience within a nursery setting
\n\u2022 Discuss your child\u2019s development with education professionals<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To get started: some activity ideas from the teachers at Plus<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Treasure basket\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Provide your child with a basket, box or bag of varied toys and objects (like tinsel, shiny toys, and blocks) and allow them to explore, play and discover.<\/p>\n

What will they learn?
\n\u2022 To experience their senses
\n\u2022 To communicate through play
\n\u2022 To use physical movement to problem solve
\n\u2022 Observe your child interact with the resources: this will give you an insight into how your child learns<\/p>\n

‘Sensory water play\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Use a container filled with water, smaller containers, sponges, pipettes and so on. Allow your child to discover the possibilities and follow their lead: pour, splash, and squeeze the water!<\/p>\n

What will they learn?
\n\u2022 Early mathematical skills: space and capacity
\n\u2022 To focus their attention
\n\u2022 To develop physical strength and more precise movements with their hands<\/p>\n

\u2018Free painting, with different brushes’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let your child discover their capacity to use paint and make marks: you could try using a broom on an outdoor surface, a toothbrush on paper, a dish brush, a nail brush. Sometimes the hands are the best tools!<\/p>\n

What will they learn?
\n\u2022 Their capacity to make marks with different instruments
\n\u2022 Creative skills
\n\u2022 New textures that they can experience<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Email plus@hildengrange.co.uk for more information or to speak to a member of the team. <\/strong>
\nFollow @The_Plus_Programme on Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Take your first steps in early learning: a bespoke programme for babies and toddlers   Plus is a holistic pre-nursery programme. Guided by teachers, parents on the Plus programme accompany their young children as they take their first steps in early learning. Plus is powered by Alpha Plus Group, a leading London independent school provider. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":47972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[296,295,294],"tags":[],"directory-category":[],"event_categories":[],"class_list":["post-42976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baby-toddler","category-education","category-the-plus-programme"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-02 10:01:44","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42976"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43012,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42976\/revisions\/43012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42976"},{"taxonomy":"directory-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/directory-category?post=42976"},{"taxonomy":"event_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/west-kent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event_categories?post=42976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}