St Anne's Nursery

On arrival, the children are welcomed at the door by a familiar adult and supported to put their named water bottle in the water tray and lunch bag on trolley. They will then hang their named coat and bag on their peg.

Children are asked to bring a bottle of plain, still water into Nursery daily, in order to have access to a drink at all times. As bottles can be taken around the classroom and drunk from throughout the day, we do specify plain water only in bottles, and not squash, to avoid tooth decay and any unnecessary spills.

After this your child will self-register at the registration table. Your child will then select an activity and can choose between taking part in the activities which have been put out or selecting their own games and resources from the drawer units.

Please do arrive promptly at 9am as once children have settled in, they will meet for a group learning session, which generally lasts for up to 10 minutes.  Sessions may include music, a story, songs, poems and rhymes, games or news.  It may be a time to introduce a new topic, skill or mathematical concept.

Children, who attend afternoons only, will be given the opportunity to take part in a group learning session in the afternoon to replace the morning’s session they will have missed.

After the group learning session, children are offered a drink and a snack. During snack, children develop their social skills, learning how to interact to express their choices politely and develop their conversation skills with their nursery friends. It is a time when children are given the opportunity to try new foods.  We have found that the children benefit from a variety of choice and try things when amongst friends that they may not be willing to eat at home!

After snack, children are encouraged to follow their own interests, independently moving around the nursery or outdoor area.  The nursery teacher and teaching assistants support the children’s play activities, guiding and introducing the children to new skills, based on their interests. All children are encouraged to tidy up after themselves which helps promote a sense of responsibility.

Outside play can be messy so Nursery provides waterproofs to ensure that children are always appropriately dressed. Children are shown how to put the waterproof clothing on through a routine, that over time, enables them to become independent. Children learn resilience at the beginning that whilst they can’t do it to begin, with practice, they will and they do!

The children get opportunities to visit the school orchard, forest area and fields for learning experiences. The teacher will ensure all children know how to keep safe.

At the end of the morning session, the children come together for another group learning session, to talk about their learning that day, re-visit any ideas or introduce the next stage of learning.  During this time, the children also focus on listening, paying attention, talking and conversations.

Children going home are encouraged to gain independence in collecting their own belongings, and put on their own coat. Children are given support if needed and shown strategies to help them to do it themselves.

Children attending the morning session only, will be brought out to the main nursery entrance to be collected by their parent or carer; whilst those remaining for the afternoon session will get ready for their lunch.  Children attending an afternoon session only, will need to arrive promptly at 12.00 noon ready to join the other children for lunch.

The afternoon session follows a similar pattern to the morning with children taking part in a range of self-chosen activities supported and facilitated by the Nursery staff.

Children are encouraged to follow their own interests both inside and in the outside area.  We have different areas to appeal to all children;

• a cosy reading area with a comfy sofa on which to cuddle up and share books
• a large block area with lots of small people, animals and vehicles to add to any structures
• a well-stocked creative area with paint, glue and other resources
• opportunities to make marks and leave messages
• places to count, compare and problem solve
• large scale construction area
• mud kitchen
• slope area
• forest, field and orchard area
• rest area

Each week, different resources are added to these areas to spark the children’s imagination and change the way in which the area may be used.

We encourage the children to develop their self-confidence and to be able to make choices by clearly labelling all equipment and having most of it accessible to the children.  This enables the children to find the materials they require without adult help and also to put it away, promoting a sense of belonging and independent active learning.

I am delighted that we are able to welcome your nursery aged children into the life of the St Anne’s community; we are eager to get to know your family and start working with you on your child’s educational journey.

The staff at St Anne’s are all caring, experienced and passionate about helping every child to reach their full potential as they move through school. Each child is treasured and recognised as an individual whose skills and talents are nurtured.  Our school mission, ‘You are the light of the world, is central to our philosophy and runs through the heart of everything we do at school.  We aim to provide our children with an environment that is caring, stimulating and academically challenging for them; where each child is viewed as a special person who has skills to be developed, curiosity to be encouraged, difficulties to be overcome and goals to be achieved – so that when they leave St Anne’s they can shine like a beacon in the world.

At St Anne’s Nursery, we are committed to providing a child-centered approach to learning. We encourage the children to follow their own interests through play and use natural materials in many different forms, to encourage a child’s imaginative and problem-solving skills.

We see the benefits of learning outside and view nature as central to a child’s well-being and development. We have wonderful school grounds, including a small orchard and forest area, for children to discover. Children will be encouraged to explore with their senses, grow fruit and vegetables, develop their physical abilities and be part of the changing seasons all around them. Expect them to come home muddy!

At St Anne’s we work hard to ensure that your child will develop a love of learning and be able to approach a wide range of situations, both in and out of school, with self-confidence.

I am delighted that you are now part of our wonderful school family.

Joanne Harvey

Headteacher