Nursery
| Dickens Boulevard | Ruskin Drive |
| Squirrels | Penguins |
|
Mrs Pedley Mrs Minnis Mrs Bennett Mrs Westcott Mrs Williams Mrs Laraman Miss Crisp |
Mrs Dillon Miss Thomas Mrs Satchell Mrs Parhar
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Welcome
Welcome From Squirrels and Penguins
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In Nursery we provide the ideal start for a child to develop their confidence as a playful, motivated independent learner, within a safe and caring, yet vibrant and enriching environment. Children are consistently encouraged to freely enjoy both the indoor and outdoor learning environments; accessing stimulating resources and developing their natural impulse to explore through play. Happiness and wellbeing is at the core of our values and a love of learning creates memorable experiences for our children.
Each day includes short adult - led group activities which complements sessions of child initiated learning, where children are supported to extend their learning through their own interests.
Opportunities include; painting, messy play, singing, mark making, role play activities, enjoying stories, PE, dance, learning about phonics sounds and stories in Literacy and exploring numbers and shape.
Our aim is for the children to be ready to move onto their Reception classes with confidence and excitement.
Daily Routine
Squirrel Class at Dickens Boulevard
Entrance
The entrance to our classroom is the gate nearest the Community Hall.
Session Times
Morning: 9am - 12 midday
Lunch: 12 midday - 1pm
Afternoon session: 12 midday - 3pm
Full Day: 9am - 3pm
We also liaise with our neighbours Poppyfields who offer a Lunch club and full wrap-around care offering a provision from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm.
Penguin Class at Ruskin Drive
Entrance
The entrance to our classroom is the door next to Honeybee class.
Session Times
Morning session: 9am - 12 midday
Lunch session: 12 midday - 1pm
Afternoon session: 12 midday - 3pm
Full Day: 9am - 3pm
In our Penguin class we are also able to offer wrap-around care offering a provision from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.
Early Morning session: 8am - 9am
Early wrap-around care session: 3pm - 4pm
Late wrap-around care session: 3pm - 5pm
Rhythm of the Day
1. Open gates and welcome
2. Child Initiated Learning outside
3. Tidy Up
4. Snack and story
5. Family Groups for adult led activities
6. Child Initiated Learning – free flow between the indoor and outside environments
7. Tidy Up
8. Family Group for adult led activities
9. Home Time*
*Red Squirrels who are staying all day will have lunch in the Pavilion and then join Black Squirrels for the afternoon session.
Refreshments in school – Children have access to their water bottles (brought from home) at all points in the day. They are offered a selection of fruit or vegetables for snack time. They are also offered a cup of milk at snack time.
Lunch – Children who are staying for the full day have lunch in the Pavilion. Please provide a packed lunch from home. Packed lunches should not include nuts or eggs.
Collecting Pupils from school– Safeguarding slips for One off collection / Regular collection
Curriculum
Click on the link below for the Nursery curriculum map
Phonics
We begin in the Autumn term by focussing on hearing and distinguishing between different environmental sounds, exploring syllables of words through clapping and repeating rhythms and by listening out for rhyming words in familiar stories. Then in Spring term children begin to notice print in the environment, match words with the same initial sound and identify the sound each single letter makes i.e. begin to recognise single letter phonemes. This continues during the Summer Term with children, through a variety of games and activities, beginning to aurally blend phonemes to hear words. This is readiness for early reading when they enter reception.
PE
Children have access to the outside area during Child Initiated Learning. In this area they can develop their gross motor skills by using a range of equipment such as climbing frames, balance bikes and hollow blocks.
We go on regular walks around the school's nature walk.
From Spring Term we encourage the children to take part in a weekly PE session either inside or outside. * They do not need a specific PE kit for these days. In these sessions we practise climbing, balancing, dancing, gymnastics as well as basic listening skills.
Homework
Our weekly newsletter informs parents about our current topic and the learning that will take place the following week. Included are suggestions for activities to do at home which can support the children’s learning and development.
Reading and Library Books
We encourage parents to read with their child at home daily. Please see here for suggestions of how to maximise the developmental opportunities. This does not need to be limited to story and fact books but can also include environmental print such as road signs, cereal packets and shop signs, etc.
Each week, children will be encouraged to select a library book to share at home.
What every child should know
