Welcome to Nursery

The Nursery team

In Nursery we give each child a positive start to their school life to enable them to grow into happy, independent adults with a passion for lifelong learning. We give each child a wide range of new and exciting experiences and the opportunity to consolidate, explore and test them out. 

Kingfisher
Miss Steele

Puffins
Mrs Miller

Owls
Mrs Summerfield

Robins
Miss Danaher

Transition

We understand that for many children when they join our Nursery it is the first time they have experienced this type of setting. As part of the transition process we offer opportunities for the children to meet their new teacher and visit the Nursery. This also helps staff to ensure they know as much about the children as possible before they start, and that children have a familiar face to go to on their first day at Nursery. The first week are shorter sessions to ensure that transition is a smooth and happy experience for children and parents.   

Nursery Curriculum

Our Nursery follow the curriculum as outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) document. This framework defines what we teach and we use the Development Matters guidance to support our curriculum.  

Each half term, Nursery has an exciting new topic to learn about. During each topic the children share what they already know and what they want to learn. Our topics include Nice to meet you!, Celebrations, Toys, Awesome Authors, Let’s explore and People who help us. We ensure that we make these topics as fun as engaging as possible with special days, which usually include dressing up, trying new things, singing and dancing! We also share new vocabulary from our key texts with the children and adults via Tapestry.  We also follow the children’s interests. As a year group we create Curriculum Overviews for each topic to provide further information regarding the learning taking place in Nursery each half term. 

Spring Term 1: Toys

The areas of learning covered in Nursery are as follows:

Prime areas:

  • Personal, social and emotional development
  • Communication and language
  • Physical development

Specific areas:

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the world
  • Expressive arts and design

In Nursery the children learn through play. They take part in focused, adult-led learning as well as child-led learning. For further information, please see our Curriculum Policy.

Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning

The characteristics of effective teaching and learning take into account how children learn, and are included in the Nursery planning. The three characteristics are:

Playing and Exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’.

Active Learning – children concentrate and ‘keep on trying’ if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements.

Creating and Thinking Critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Tapestry

As a school we use the online learning journal ‘Tapestry’. Using this resource, Nursery staff are able to share images and information on activities and learning taking place in Nursery as well as progress and next steps. In order to access this, you will need login details from our school. Should you need any further information, please contact the school office enquiry@walmleyinfant.org 

Snacks

Snacks are available for the children each day, this is in the form of fruit such as bananas, apples, pears etc. These snacks are government funded, so available to all children each day free of charge.

Milk

All children are entitled to milk in Nursery. This is also government funded until the children reach their fifth birthday.

Water Bottles

Water bottles need to be sent into school on Monday each week. These are refilled each day with fresh water and then sent home on Friday.

PE

In Nursery the children take part in physical activities every day both indoors and outdoors. We will have more formal PE lessons as the year progresses where the children will be required to wear trainers and clothing suitable for PE on that day (a memo will go out on Tapestry to let parents know when this will be). On those days we ask that you ensure your child has long hair tied back and earrings removed or taped if ears have been pierced in recent weeks.

Contacting us

Should you wish to contact the Nursery team regarding learning, then please email us on; nursery@walmleyinfant.org

Pupil voice

We hope this provided you with lots of information as well as a clearer picture of what to expect when your child is in Nursery.

Here are a few things the Nursery children would like to share with you about being a pupil at our School Nursery:

‘I like to play at Nursery’

‘It’s fun’

‘My friends are at Nursery’

‘I dressed up as a Princess’