Nursery
8.30am to 3pm Monday to Thursday and until 12 midday on Friday
Children who have turned 3 by the 31st August, attend the Nursery from 08.30am to 3pm, Monday to Thursday and until 12 midday on Fridays.
Over the course of the year, children begin to learn to read using a well established phonics programme. Letters and sounds are introduced to small groups of children on a regular basis during the week so that by the end of the Nursery year, some children will already have begun to read while others will be preparing to begin. Numeracy is also introduced to small groups of children with the emphasis on practical numeracy activities. Numicon is used to introduce the concept of number values.
Various topics are planned and resourced to cover festivals, events and other interesting and relevant subjects. We incorporate a more structured and adult led approach to introduce new ideas and topics, extend children’s understanding, encourage acceptable behaviour, improve children’s concentration, and promote sharing and taking turns and developing relationships.
Key Points
We aim to make the Nursery Year one of great happiness and enjoyment! Children learn when they are motivated, happy and secure. We provide a warm, caring environment and staff who are skilled and sensitive to children’ needs.
Open lines of communication between home and school are vital so that everyone is united in ensuring the best outcomes for the child.
The two way online assessment tool ‘Tapestry’ is used throughout all the EYFS classes successfully. Parents are able to follow their child’s progress on a weekly basis online and are also able to comment. At the end of the year, parents are able to download the entire Journal in the form of a pdf.
Parents are invited to a termly consultation with their child’s Key person and a formal written Report is produced at the end of the year.
We are guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum but wherever possible, extend children beyond the average expectations for their age. We deliver this curriculum through a range of free choice activities which the children choose independently or as a group. The teachers interact to encourage and extend the children’s learning in a number of ways, offering ideas and suggestions and introducing relevant vocabulary to aid language development. The Staff also monitor for safety, inclusion and equal opportunities for all children.
Literacy
Literacy sessions take place on a daily basis in the Nursery, often in the form of games, matching letters, stories etc. The Letterland Phonics scheme introduces the children to letters and sounds in the form of animated letter characters which make a particular letter sound. Specialised Letterland software designed specifically for the Interactive Whiteboard provides informative and enjoyable sessions, enabling all the children to participate and benefit from the learning of phonics. By the end of Nursery, the majority of children will know their letters and sounds and be ready to begin blending in readiness for reading.
The Avenue Pre-Preparatory School and Nursery (DfE URN 309/6084) has met all the necessary conditions to take up an exemption from the learning and development requirements in the 2021 EYFS for children aged 3 and over. This is not an exemption from the EYFS safeguarding and welfare requirements and these still apply.
The key person is a named practitioner who has responsibilities for a small group of children, they are there to help the child feel safe and secure. The role is important for both child and parent and it is an approach set out in the EYFS.
Each child is allocated a 'Key Person' at the beginning of the Nursery Year to help the child settle into nursery and monitor their development in all areas of their learning. The Key Person will observe, keep records and monitor the child’s progress and feed back information or concerns to parents.
Some children settle into their new surroundings with ease while others may take a little longer. Each child is considered individually and the settling-in time handled with care and sensitivity to ensure that the child's first few days at the School are a positive and happy experience for them. The staff will advise you accordingly.
The main Nursery caters for up to 30 children but this can vary from year to year. Four full time, (and two part time) qualified staff work with the children and daily peripatetic staff provide classes in additional subjects such as Singing, Drama, Music, Football, PE and Cooking.
Our work is very much in partnership with parents. We aim to build positive and proactive relationships with families to ensure the best outcomes for your child. We use a dedicated, secure portal to share updates and photographs from your child’s week and operate a consistent ‘open door’ policy so that any concerns you may have relating to your child and the School are dealt with efficiently and effectively.