Developing Strong Foundations: Gross Motor Skills in Early Years at Rugby School Thailand

At Rugby School Thailand, we firmly believe that physical development underpins all areas of a child’s learning and growth from birth. This belief is central to our ethos of ‘The Whole Person, The Whole Point,’ recognising that a child’s physical well-being is intrinsically linked to their cognitive, social, and emotional development. In our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we understand the crucial role of creating an environment where children can freely explore, both independently and with guidance, to build vital connections between their brain and body and develop strong gross motor skills.

What are Gross Motor Skills?

Gross motor skills involve the larger muscle groups of the body. They typically require whole-body movement, engaging core stabilising muscles. These skills are fundamental for tasks that require different parts of the body to work together successfully, such as throwing, catching, or kicking a ball, swimming, or riding a bike.

Supporting Development at Rugby School Thailand:

Our bespoke campus and dedicated Early Years facilities are designed to provide abundant opportunities for children to develop these essential skills, tailored to each stage of their growth.

Swimming: A Core Skill from an Early Age

We are incredibly fortunate to have state-of-the-art swimming pools on campus. From a very young age, our Pre-Prep children engage in regular swimming lessons with specialist coaches. Swimming is a fantastic full-body workout, strengthening major muscle groups and promoting cardiovascular and respiratory health. It is an integral part of our physical development curriculum, allowing children to build confidence and strength in the water.

Rugby Rascals

Rugby Rascals playgroup is designed for specifically for early years development. Led by our qualified British teachers and supported by talented Thai educators, our two weekly sessions offer a safe, exciting and enriching environment for children to explore, learn and grow.

As children become more mobile and start taking those first steps, our secure and stimulating play areas, complete with soft surfaces, low-level climbing features and a range of age-appropriate equipment, encourage crawling, pulling to stand, cruising and an increasing number of steps. Our indoor soft playroom is designed to support early walking and exploration, with opportunities to navigate gentle slopes and different elevations.

Pre-Nursery, Nursery and Reception

We offer expansive outdoor adventure play areas featuring varied terrain, climbing structures, and open spaces for running, jumping and balancing. Our Physical Education (PE) lessons, led by specialist teachers, incorporate a wide range of activities, games, and sports that systematically develop gross motor skills, coordination and agility. Our children regularly engage in activities like riding balance bikes and trikes, further strengthening their larger muscle groups and improving balance.

Our weekly ‘Wake and Shake’ session is something everyone eagerly anticipates – a vibrant time where all children and staff come together to kickstart the day with energetic movement to music, ensuring our students are not only active and healthy but also building essential physical foundations in a joyful, collective environment.

At Rugby School Thailand, the development of gross motor skills is seamlessly woven into our daily curriculum and play-based learning approach. Our dedicated team of educators create a safe, stimulating and challenging environment that empowers every child to confidently explore, move and grow, building the physical foundations necessary for all future learning.

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Rugby School Thailand

Rugby School Thailand is an international day and boarding school, whose approach is based upon the world-renowned British private school model, and whose curriculum is drawn from the best of the England & Wales National Curriculum and the UK’s Independent Schools’ Curriculum. It is the first and only school to take the name of its prestigious parent, Rugby School (UK), which was founded 450 years ago and from where the world-famous sport originated.

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