Our School Day

Our School Day Information for Parents

At our school, we take great pride in creating a nurturing environment that supports each child's development and learning journey. Below are key details regarding our daily schedule, activities, and learning opportunities designed to foster growth in your child.

• Registration / Funky Fingers:

  • Welcoming your child into class is our priority. Our dedicated team ensures that every child feels valued and included from the moment they arrive.
  • Upon arrival, children will find their funky finger activity waiting for them. These engaging tasks are specifically designed to develop upper body strength (gross motor skills) and finger/hand strength and control (fine motor skills), essential for their progress in writing and other activities.
  • Activities will include playdough modelling, threading beads onto strings, using scissors skilfully, and various other hands-on activities aimed at preparing your child for writing tasks they will encounter throughout their school life. Each day’s activities will be uniquely planned to maintain their interest, stimulating their creative spirit and promoting dexterity.
  • Additionally, every Wednesday, we hold our Dough Disco, a lively session where children engage in rhythmic movement as they manipulate dough, further strengthening their fingers and hands while enjoying music and fun with friends.
  • Throughout the day, children are encouraged to draw, paint, and create, helping to develop their hand-eye coordination and dexterity. This engagement in creative activities not only bolsters writing abilities but also enhances their self-expression and confidence.

• Continuous Provision:

  • A vital component of nursery life focuses on personal, social, and emotional development, allowing children's characters to flourish in a loving environment.
  • Children are encouraged to form positive relationships, play with a variety of peers, and understand and empathise with the feelings of others, guided by The Zones of Regulation, a framework helping them identify emotions and learn self-regulation techniques. This understanding forms a crucial foundation for their future interactions in school and beyond.
  • Continuous provision enables exploration and consolidation of learning. For instance, within the construction area, children independently investigate how high they can build a structure using wooden blocks, experimenting with balance and stability. They may redesign their towers multiple times or incorporate other materials to further test their engineering skills.
  • This approach allows children to make choices and initiate play without immediate adult intervention, promoting independence and creativity, as they learn to navigate friendships and negotiate play scenarios. This freedom fosters resilience, creativity, and cognitive growth, as they encounter new challenges and solve problems independently.

• Carpet Time / Group Time:

  • After a period of play, children gather on the carpet for a special group time, a highlight of the day where they engage in collective learning experiences.
  • This segment includes Neli N, where children learn the word of the day, expanding their vocabulary and spark curiosity about the language.
  • During this time, children participate in songs, finger plays, rhymes, and storytelling, all integral in developing their listening skills and phonetic awareness. They also take part in movement games and relaxation exercises that build a sense of community, cooperation, and shared enjoyment, helping them to express their thoughts and emotions in a group setting.

• Wednesday Lending Library Day:

  • Each Wednesday is dedicated to our lending library, where children can choose books to take home and read with their families. This initiative aims to foster a love for reading and develops early literacy skills, enabling them to explore new worlds and ideas as they delve into various narratives.

• Snack Time:

  • During both the morning and afternoon, children enjoy access to healthy snacks that nourish their growing bodies and minds.
  • This time not only provides essential nutrition but serves as a social occasion where children engage in conversation with peers, developing social skills and turn-taking. They also enhance their cutting skills through fun cooking activities, such as creating fruit salads or making their own sandwiches, encouraging healthy eating habits and independence.
  • A staff member will sit with the children to guide them through these activities, providing support and encouragement as they design their own menus and even experiment with 'paying' for their snacks, introducing foundational numeracy skills in a supportive manner.

• The Outdoor Environment:

  • We believe that regular access to outdoor learning is a cornerstone of our educational philosophy, providing children with unique opportunities for exploration that complements indoor learning.
  • The outdoor space offers a stimulating environment for movement and physical play, crucial for their physical, social, and emotional development. Engaging in outdoor activities encourages children to utilise their imagination and creativity, forming a basis for lifelong learning beyond the classroom.
  • Activities available include construction play using various materials, planting and gardening that fosters an appreciation for nature, loose parts creativity that stimulates imaginative play, and our engaging mud kitchen, which allows for sensory exploration.
  • Furthermore, children have access to a variety of equipment, including scooters, balls, and skittles, promoting physical fitness and social interaction as they play together. Outdoor play helps to alleviate stress and anxiety while fostering creativity, problem-solving, and friendships among peers. It also provides a healthy outlet, giving children a break from screens while enriched by the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural environment. Playing outdoors contributes to children's holistic wellbeing, both mentally and emotionally.

• Story Time:

  • Books and stories are pivotal in nurturing your child's imagination and understanding of the world around them. We offer a carefully curated selection of age-appropriate books designed to engage children’s senses and interests.
  • Story time is a special moment where children gather to enjoy shared narratives, stimulating critical thinking and expanding their vocabulary. This invaluable daily practice aids in developing essential language and listening skills, preparing children to recognise the joy of reading for pleasure and instilling a habit of storytelling that will serve them for a lifetime. Engaging with stories also helps enhance key literacy skills, while the discussions that follow foster comprehension and critical analysis.

• Lunch Time:

  • Children are required to bring a healthy lunch and a bottle of water in their named lunchbox to ensure proper hydration and nutrition. Parents are encouraged to pack items that are not only tasty but also wholesome, supporting energy levels necessary for active minds and bodies throughout the school day.
  • We believe in the importance of instilling healthy eating habits from a young age, and we actively promote a balanced and nutritious diet. Our staff is available to provide guidance and support to parents regarding healthy eating practices, including factoring in considerations like portion sizes and balanced food groups.
  • During lunch, children have time to converse with their peers, enabling them to practice socially acceptable behaviour and turn-taking whilst fostering relationships within their classroom environment.

• Curriculum:

  • We have meticulously designed a Broad and Balanced Early Years Curriculum that aligns with our school’s overarching aims, while reflecting the rich diversity of our families and community. Our goal is to ignite a love for learning among our children, fostering curiosity and excitement.
  • Our curriculum adheres to the Early Years Statutory Framework, encompassing all seven areas of learning. These areas are specifically tailored to provide children with the tools they need to thrive throughout their educational journey.
  • The prime areas include Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, and Physical Development, foundational elements that underpin all further learning. The specific areas of learning include Literacy Development, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts and Design, which broaden children’s understanding of their surroundings while encouraging creative self-expression.

• Specific Areas of Learning:

  • Our curriculum design and approach, inspired by the non-statutory guidance in Development Matters, enables effective assessment of your child’s progress across these important learning areas.
  • The Development Matters guidance underscores several critical areas essential for children’s development and educational journey, focusing not only on traditional subjects like reading and maths but also on the overall growth children experience through play and interaction.
  • Underpinning this guidance are four key themes: A Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments, and Learning and Development, which together create a holistic learning framework.
  • Our practitioners engage in formative assessments to thoroughly observe and support each child’s journey, focusing on five main areas: Cognitive (problem solving and mental skills), Social and Emotional (interaction and emotional expression), Speech and Language (effective communication, both spoken and written), Fine Motor Skills (interacting with and using objects), and Gross Motor Skills (physical movement from walking to sports, encompassing all levels of physical activity).

At our school, we continuously strive to create a rich learning environment that nurtures each child's potential, encourages their interests, and helps develop essential skills for their future. We appreciate your partnership in this learning journey and look forward to a wonderful school year together!