A typical day in Elton Primary School and Nursery

Starting the day is a busy time as we welcome children into our setting. You and your child will arrive through our secure and monitored entrances, to be greeted by the friendly and familiar Nursery team your child will be welcomed into the setting. Parents are welcome to come into the setting each morning with their children to help settle them. We appreciate that some children need a little more support with the transition from home to school and we will happily work closely with you on this. Some children are far more confident and happy when their parents come in for a little play and a chat!

Staff assist the children to cleanse their hands as they enter the premises.

The children will have a photograph of themselves by their coat pegs and are helped to hang their coats and bags up. They are encouraged to bring water into Nursery in sealed and labelled bottles. The children learn to place their bottle on the designated water table.

A typical day then offers our 2 & 3 year olds (Nursery) a mix of child initiated and adult led learning, using continuous provision and small group key time.  Children are given the opportunity to access a wide range of resources and activities, both indoor and outdoor, to support their learning.  Staff join children in their play to support language development and model positive interactions.

Nursery children (age 2) wear their own clothes whilst Pre-school children (age 3+) begin to wear school uniform; this helps them feel confident to transition into school.

Toileting

If your child wears nappies can you please bring a named bag to school each morning, containing nappies and wipes. We are happy to support parents in the toilet training process- your child's key person will work closely with you to devise a plan that works best for your child.

Snacks and breaks

Each day a healthy snack is provided by Nursery at no cost to you during the morning session and they are encouraged to taste different foods as this is a great opportunity to introduce children to different flavours and textures. Our snack times consist of a selection of fresh fruit / vegetable sticks and toast or other baked goods. They will have the option of milk, sugar free juice or water. As they become more settled they prepare the snack themselves, hand out the bowls and cups, set the table and then wash their bowls (all with support and supervision). If your child has any special dietary requirements please let us know and we can accommodate them.

Children have open access to their water bottle all day and they are encouraged to access them thought the day. Please could you bring in a named water bottle each day. These will be filled with water each morning and topped up when needed. The bottles will be placed on an easily accessible table so the children can help themselves throughout the morning. If your child ever forgets their bottle we will continue to ensure that they have a drink whenever they need one.

Lunch

Lunch is a time to enjoy a freshly prepared and balanced meal prepared by our chefs on site. There’s a healthy and varied menu every day, and we encourage children to discover different tastes and textures, try different food and enjoy the experience of sharing a sociable meal with other. There is a cost of £2.73 a day for lunch.  You also have the option of providing your child with a packed lunch. 

Outdoor play

Our outdoor areas offer the space for your child to explore and take risks with the support of our team. Outdoor play encourages natural curiosity and allows children to develop their gross motor skills while benefiting from healthy fresh air. We support all weather play and provide waterproofs. We ask you to provide wellies but do have some spares.

We have fantastic outside facility including, sand and water play, mud kitchen, climbing area, bikes and scooters, construction area and a nature garden.

Communication  

 At the end of each day/session, the Nursery team will tell you all about their exciting day, so you’ll know what they have eaten and drank, what activities they have done and enjoyed the most. We want you to feel part of their day so you will be fully informed to ensure you don’t miss out on any important achievements and development milestones. We also have a closed Facebook page, which you will be invited to join, where we share photos of activities and experiences.

Curriculum

 The structure of a typical day is based on individual assessment and need. Upon entry to Nursery and Pre-school, all children are observed during their play to ascertain a baseline assessment.

Using small group time and 1:1 interactions, children are taught new skills, they are then given lots of opportunity, to use and develop these skills independently.

Adult led activities are loosely based around the following themes:

• Autumn 1 – All about me
• Autumn 2 – People who help us
• Spring 1 – Changes & Weather
• Spring 2 – Fairy tales & familiar stories
• Summer 1 – Growing
• Summer 2 – Moving on

However, flexibility is key. Each practitioner is aware of the interests and needs of their children. This knowledge is utilised alongside observations, to assess against Development Matters which determines next steps for each child, ensuring good progress is made.

Routines are established quickly to make sure all children feel secure. Looking at books and talking about the pictures, as well as reading stories, using rhymes and singing, are part of those routines. Each staff member develops good relationships with parents and carers; they work closely to ensure children are encouraged to become independent and confident.

During key times the children are split into Nursery, which are the two and tree year old children and Pre-school which are the children who are starting Reception the following September.

In Nursery our key times include

• Good morning / good afternoon talk time to encourage early language development
• Rhyme time – singing Nursery rhymes, using props to encourage turn taking.
• Story time – to encourage language development and a love for books.
• Finger gym enhance fine skills ready for writing.
• Outside time – to develop gross motor skills

In Pre-school our key times include

• Maths is delivered every morning and is supported by NCETM Numberblocks.
• Pathways to Write (PTW) is used to support literacy. PTW has been a useful tool, it has built confidence in group discussions, allows the children to ask questions and learn new words.
• Phonics is usually introduced to the children during Spring Term.

Dough Disco and Squiggle While You Wiggle has been introduced to enhance fine and gross motor skills ready for writing.