Nursery

Welcome to our Nursery

Mrs Coleman is our teacher, Mrs Conaboy and Miss Perkins are our teaching assistants.

In Nursery our learning begins with a mostly play-based curriculum. We provide a setting that is resourced with exciting, engaging areas and objects the children are allowed free access to enable them to make their own discoveries, preferences and learning.

Although we do provide ‘themes’ to our learning, often based around a traditional tale or favourite story, learning is more often child led and we aim to provide a range of activities where the children’s interests lie. This could include dinosaurs, princesses or superheroes to name just a few.

We enjoy our learning experiences in the many areas of the Nursery including the water area, where early maths and science can take place such as capacity or floating and sinking; the home corner where we see traditions from home being acted out during play. The art area allows the children to create what they wish, using the many different resources on offer. The construction area gives the children the opportunity to plan and build for different purposes and small world gives the children another opportunity to play in a make-believe world, whilst also being able to use their own life experiences about the world as they understand it. The book area is well resourced for the children to enjoy and begin appreciating how to use and look at books, as well as understand that print carries meaning. Playdough and varied writing resources allow the children to begin to use and develop their fine motor skills. All these activities encourage the children to be independent, social individuals who can make choices in their learning with support from the adults around them. Outdoors, the children have a range of bikes and scooters to put their gross motor skills to the test. The huge sand area, mud kitchen, gardening area and outdoor writing shed means that the children, whether they choose to play indoors or outdoors can continue their exploratory learning.

The adults in the Nursery are constantly supporting and encouraging the learning that is going on. When the adults see a learning opportunity during the children’s play, they will promote learning by questioning and encouraging the play further. Adult-led learning usually takes place during whole class sessions, after register or before home time. This is the time when we will practise listening skills through story and rhyme, as well as practising number and counting. Small groupwork also takes place which allows the children to enjoy these activities in a focussed, smaller group.

The Nursery day is made up of two sessions, morning and afternoon. Some children who are eligible, stay all day for both sessions. Those children experience a full day of learning and experiences and we work hard to ensure these children receive a variety of activity across the day. An example of our Nursery day is set out as follows:

Morning Session	Example timetable	Afternoon Session
8.50	Greet children from the Nursery Garden	12.30
9.00 – 9.05	Sing our welcome song and register	12.40 – 12.45
9.05 – 9.15	Whole Class Learning	12.45 – 12.55
9.15 – 10.15	Free Choice Play	12.55 – 1.55
10.15 – 10.30	Snack	1.55 – 2.10
10.30 – 11.30	Free Choice Play	2.10 – 2.55
11.30 – 12.50	Lunch for children who stay all day or getting ready for home time, promoting independence by putting on coat	2.55 – 3.10

Ultimately, the Nursery provision at Esh Winning Primary School gives children the opportunity to develop into independent, social individuals with a curiosity for learning and ready to progress to their next stage of learning.

 

Curriculum Overview

Autumn Term

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