The aims of our nursery are:

• To provide secure foundations on which to build future learning;
• To foster enthusiastic and independent learning;
• To encourage self-control, build self esteem and develop a positive self image;
• To learn to co-operate with, and show respect for, all nursery members;
• To help each child reach his/her full potential;
• To involve parents fully in their child’s development and keep them informed of progress.

Nursery Staff

In the nursery your child will encounter the nursery teacher and learning support assistant, on a daily basis, as well as the EMASS teacher, student nursery nurses, and parent helpers.

Starting Nursery

At the end of the term prior to your child starting nursery, we invite parents/carers into school to view the nursery, along with the rest of the school, and to answer any questions you may have.

We then arrange home visits for the beginning of the term your child is due to join us. This allows us to meet your child in an environment that is familiar, secure and non-threatening.

Children are admitted to nursery a few at a time, initially for a shortened morning. Parents are welcome to stay for as long as it is felt necessary and can phone at any time to check on progress.

Nursery Day and Routine

The nursery operates one morning session a day with a maximum of 39 children. Our session starts at 8.45 a.m. and closes at 11.15 a.m.

We encourage regularity of attendance and punctuality of arrival to enable the children to settle well at the start of each session, to found firm friendships and to feel part of the nursery community.

Adults come into nursery to deliver and collect the children. A form is available inside the entrance door if someone different is to pick up your child.

Children enter nursery, self-register and choose an activity. When all the children are in we play music to tell the children it is time to sit down for our start. Sometimes this is a whole group activity, sometimes small group or a visit to another area of the school e.g. the ITC suite or library.

The children then have free choice time with opportunities inside and outdoors. There will normally be one activity a week that the children must undertake but the rest of the time the choice is their own.

At the end of this time we play ‘Bob the Builder’ to tell the children it is time to ‘fix’ the nursery. When the tidying up is complete we have our snack time. For this we sit around mats as our tables and have a social chat and discussion.

After snack we have a short time when everyone is required to go outside for some fresh air and exercise. We finish the morning with another group session -language based on Monday, Maths based on Tuesday, Creative on Wednesday, Physical on Thursday and Personal/Social on Friday.

Through all these activities the children are encouraged to talk, discuss, ask questions, listen, investigate and deduce from what they see, hear, touch and smell.

The Learning Environment.

We have tried to create an attractive and stimulating environment both inside and outside the nursery. Inside we have

• A home corner
• A forest
• Another regularly changing role-play area
• Book corner
• Investigation area
• Computer area
• Games, puzzles and maths activities
• Listening corner
• Music corner
• Puppet theatre
• Fish
• Drawing table
• Water play
• Painting
• Play-dough
• Construction activities
• Small world activities
• Junk modelling
• Cookery

Outside activities regularly include:

• A covered play area
• A soft floor area
• A playground exclusive to nursery and reception
• Sand
• Small world activities
• Construction including large boxes
• Bikes and ride on toys
• Assault course
• Bats, balls, hoops, stilts, quoits, ropes
• Chalk
• Bubbles

During the week the children will also visit other areas of the main school - the hall, ICT suite, library and music room.

During the year we join with the main school for celebrations such as Harvest, Christmas and Easter, parties and special days.

Opportunities available to your child

Nursery children follow the National Curriculum Footsteps which guide the children’s development through six areas

• Personal and social development;
• Language and literacy;
• Mathematical development;
• Knowledge and understanding of the world;
• Physical development;
• Creative development.

We base our curriculum around well known fairy stories and main religious festivals. All other learning areas are then linked e.g. we study colours along with Little Red Riding Hood, we look at size with Jack and the Beanstalk.

Parents receive a curriculum overview at the beginning of each term informing them of the areas we will be focussing on in the following term.

Monitoring your child’s progress

Every day we choose one child on which to make careful and detailed observations. Significant achievements of any child will always be noted. Pieces of work that show milestones have been reached are photographed and put in scrapbooks along with photographs of non-tangible achievements such as using stilts or role-play.

Each child’s progress is assessed at the end of every half term against the Early Learning Goals Footsteps.

At the end of their time in nursery this information is used to write detailed reports of the children’s progress for the parents and is made available to the reception teacher to ensure a smooth progression between classes.

We do not run formal parents evenings for the nursery children except to discuss the reports at the end of the year. However we are always available to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

Supporting Your Child’s Development

There are many ways your can support your child’s learning and development.

• One very clear way to show your interest, if you have a spare morning, is to come in to nursery and help the children in there activities. Parent helpers are always welcome;
• There are books available to take home and share with your children regularly. A folder is issued to each child to keep these books clean as they travel to and from school;
• Discuss the events of the morning with your child when you collect them;
• Value the articles they bring home;
• Let us know of any events significant to your child that occur outside school;
• Label anything that comes into school clearly - clothes, drinks bottles, toys etc.;
• Please keep jewellery and valuables at home.

Nursery Admissions

A waiting list for places at Queen Eleanor Nursery is held at the schools main reception. Applications are taken at any time but children will be accepted from our catchment area first and in order of age. We accept an intake of children each term who are admitted the term after third birthday.