Nursery Welcome

Welcome to Queen Edith Nursery. We offer places for children the term after their third birthday until they start in the Reception class. The Nursery is part of the Queens’ Federation which includes both Queen Edith and Queen Emma Primary schools. Together they are led by one governing body and one leadership team. Our nursery staff includes Mrs Julia Cumiskey and Mrs Joy Newman, who are both qualified teachers and job share the running of the nursery. They are supported by Mrs Krystyna Newman, Ms Charlotte Mack, Mrs Keeley Brooks and Mrs Kelly Dama, well qualified Nursery Assistants with many years of early years’ experience between them. We aim to make your child’s first experience of formal education as happy and stimulating as possible.

We offer 15 hour and 30 hour packages of free provision for eligible three year olds. We also offer additional hours at our Little Dragons After School Club during term time to either 4.30pm or 6pm. We also run a Holiday Club at Queen Emma Nursery staffed by well qualified and experience nursery assistants.

We welcome parents and carers to visit the Nursery. Please ring the school office to book an appointment.

We hope Nursery will be the beginning of a long and happy association with Queen Edith Primary School. We would like to finish with some quotations from our parents of former pupils:

“We are so grateful for all the interesting, magical, positive and valuable things you have taught this year and the incredibly special atmosphere you have created.”

“Thank you for all the love, care and support you gave my son in nursery.”

“Thank you for making his year at nursery so fantastic. He has thrived in the time he has been in nursery.”

Queen Edith’s Foundation Stage

‘It is not what we do to the child or for the child that educates him, but what we enable him to do for himself, to see and learn and feel and understand for himself. The child grows by his own efforts and his own real experience.’ Susan Isaacs

During their time with us we aim to be:

Supporting each child to make the most of every opportunity
Working together with each child’s family
Enjoying learning for life

Our Foundation Stage has one Nursery class and two Reception classes. Each year group has an indoor and outdoor area which children can access for the majority of the session.

We operate a ‘keyworker system’ so that each child can build positive relationships with a particular adult and have the opportunity to be in smaller groups. All staff will also be working with all children within each class. For more information please read our ‘Keyworker Policy’
We use Tapestry online learning journals for each child as a record of their play and learning. These help us to understand what each child needs to know next and plan appropriate activities.
We believe in positive behaviour management and encourage children to develop social skills and work as part of a group.
We take safeguarding seriously and ask all visitors not to use mobile phones in school. Paediatric first aiders are always on site if needed.

The way children learn:

Playing and exploring
Active learning
Creating and thinking critically

We help children develop positive characteristics in their learning which will enable them to ‘learn for life’.

We encourage children to work together, keep on trying, concentrate and ‘have a go’! We use animal characters such as Go for it Gorilla and Concentrating Crocodile to help children understand how to learn effectively.

Our Curriculum

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Making relationships Children are supported and encouraged to form positive relationships. Children are helped to understand feelings by talking about emotions through stories and puppets etc. Collaborative activities are planned to encourage children to play as part of a group
Self-confidence and self-awareness Children are encouraged to become increasingly independent, through carefully organised areas. Through praise and opportunities to carry out small tasks, children gain the confidence to learn and grow. Children are encouraged to ask adults for help. We provide opportunities for children to talk and share their interests.
Managing feelings and behaviour Children are taught how to manage their feelings. Many activities provide opportunities for sharing and turn taking. Clear consistent boundaries are set and routines help children to know what is expected of them.

Communication and Language

Listening and attention Children develop good listening skills. They regularly listen to stories and join in with rhymes and songs. Children are encouraged to concentrate and sit together.
Understanding Children learn to follow simple instructions. The wide range of experiences helps them to understand the use of objects and prepositions. Staff will talk and ask children questions during the sessions to help them develop their own learning.
Speaking Children are given opportunities to speak in a variety of contexts. They learn to talk to peers and adults both individually and in larger groups. They learn to ask questions and to give explanations and retell stories. Children are constantly learning new words and expressions which enable them to become increasingly confident at communicating effectively. Children with English as an additional language are supported through a range of resources and small group activities. We celebrate the wide range of languages represented at Queen Edith.
Storytelling We use storytelling to develop activities to enhance children’s learning in all areas, introducing a story each term in the Foundation Stage.

Physical Development

Moving and handling Children have access to both our classrooms and our gardens during each session. They learn how to move in a range of ways, climb, balance and kick and throw balls. Using a variety of resources they learn to pour, hammer, turn pages and make marks. In Nursery they use the hall for movement sessions. In Reception children take part in PE sessions weekly and learn how to form letters.
Health and self-care healthy eating Children also learn to take care of themselves and gain increasing independence. Both year groups take part in cookery activities relating to their topic. In the Nursery daily fruit group sessions give children the opportunity to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables and pour their own drinks. They eat lunch in the Nursery and may choose a school meal or bring their own lunch. Reception children have the chance to eat lunch in the school hall and both classes are given a range of healthy options to eat.

Literacy

Reading Children share in the enjoyment of books through daily story and rhyme sessions. By using a range of story props all children can enjoy this time. Children learn how to handle books appropriately and can independently use the book area. They begin to learn how stories are structured and we talk about what might happen next. Children begin to learn that print has meaning. Children are able to borrow a variety of books from Nursery and also Story Sacks. We regularly have book sessions in our library where children may borrow a non-fiction book. Parents are invited in to share a book with their child on a regular basis. In Reception, children learn to read in guided reading groups or individually. They read daily as part of our activities in different contexts. Parents are invited in to Share a Book once a month.
Writing Through lots of different opportunities, children are encouraged to mark make in a range of ways. Children are encouraged to give meaning to their marks by telling us about their pictures. Adults support children at their own level. In Reception, daily phonics teaching using Letters and Sounds supports children with both reading and writing. They are encouraged to ‘have a go’ at writing for meaning during their play and write with their teacher regularly. We follow Talk for Writing, using our class stories to help children learn how to develop their own stories.

Mathematics

Numbers Through a wide variety of activities and resources children begin to use number names accurately in their play. They learn to recite number names in order and understand that numbers represent how many objects are in a set. Children begin to recognise numerals and match them to the correct number of objects. Adults show how to use mathematical language by asking questions such as ‘How many more do we need?’ Children have access to maths areas where there are a variety of exciting mathematical resources. Mathematical activities can also include games stories and songs. In Reception, children also work in small groups with numbers to 20 and beyond. They take part in daily mathematical sessions where they are encouraged to focus on a number of the week with ‘say it build it, draw it, write it’.
Shape space and measure Children’s interest in shape and space is stimulated by varied resources and activities. They are encouraged to hear and use the language for shape, position, size, time, pattern, money in all areas of the environment as part of their play. We use real life experiences such as going shopping, cooking, building, creating and comparing to enhance learning.

Understanding the World

People and communities Children are encouraged to talk about significant events in their own life. Parents and carers are invited in to share special celebrations with us. We learn about different occupations and ways of life and celebrate our similarities and differences.
The World Children are encouraged to explore our natural world. They learn to talk about what they have seen. We use our exciting outdoor environment to talk about what we see, from digging in the garden for worms, planting bulbs, vegetables and observing seasonal changes.
Technology Children learn how to operate simple equipment such as an interactive whiteboard, technological toys and have opportunities to access iPads or computers to use appropriate programs which support other areas of the curriculum.

Expressive Arts and Design

Exploring and using media and materials- Children use a variety of materials to explore colour and texture. They have opportunity to construct and build using a range of tools both independently and with adult support. They enjoy exploring a range of music and instruments and learn about sounds and rhythms.
Being imaginative- Children sing familiar songs and learn new songs, rhymes and poems. Nursery children regularly take part in dancing and ring games in the garden or our school hall. All children learn about a variety of experiences through role play. They enjoy using their imaginations by taking on a range of roles in their play.

For more information please look at the Early Years Policy.

How you can help at home:

Research shows that children learn most effectively when parents/carers and school work in partnership.
You can help your child by:

Sharing books together
Playing games together
TALKING and enjoying activities together

Useful websites include:
www.bookstart.org.uk
www.ican.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/change4life