Nursery
Nursery Curriculum
Parental Involvement
Nursery children are usually brought to and from the nursery by their parents or a known adult, which helps to maintain contact and allows times for an informal discussion. Personal matters may be discussed in private.
You, as parents, are the most important people in your children's lives. We can only build on the foundations which are laid at home within the family, so we need your help to ensure that your children progress and achieve success.
Parents and carers are always welcome in nursery at anytime to join in with our activities. We organise several outings in the year and you are very welcome to come with us.
Personal & Social Development
In this area, we focus on children learning how to work, play and co-operate with others and function in a group beyond the family.
Language & Literacy
In this area, we focus on children's developing competence in talking and listening and in becoming readers and writers. They learn to listen and enjoy stories and pictures and develop skills of concentration, listening and imagination as well as extending their vocabulary and language.
They learn to recognise letters of the alphabet by shape and sound. The nursery staff encourage writing through writing words or stories to accompany pictures, maps, shopping lists, instruction and recipes.
They are able to write their names with appropriate use of upper and lower case letters.
Mathematics
In this area, we focus on covering important aspects of mathematical understanding and provide the foundation for numeracy. We focus on achievement through practical activities and on using and understanding language in the classroom. Children use mathematics language such as shapes, sizes, quantity and position. They can recognise patterns and they learn number rhymes, songs and games.
Through encouragement from the nursery staff, children will understand numbers and their functions, e.g. + and -.
We encourage children to talk about where they live, places and countries they have visited and to talk about how things work e.g. a computer.
Physical Development
In this area, we focus on developing children's physical control, mobility, awareness of space and manipulative skills in indoor and outdoor environments.
This includes establishing positive attitudes towards a healthy and active way of life. We encourage the children to use various apparatus from a pencil to a climbing frame.
We provide experiences for the children to promote their physical development, e.g. PE, dance and games with balls and beans bags.
Children with Special Educational Needs
All children are special, but some have a more specific need for extra help in school because of emotional or physical disabilities. These children are encouraged to integrate into a normal nursery environment and take part in as many activities as they are able. We endeavour to ensure that all of our children's needs are met and that our educational aims are maintained for all of the children.
Medical and Health Care
Medicines can be administered in the nursery. Clear instructions must be in writing. In the case of sickness and diarrhoea please allow at least forty-eight hours clear of symptoms before returning to nursery.
If your child is ill at nursery then we will contact you or an emergency contact to take your child home. Minor accidents are treated at nursery. The main school has a sick bay where nursery children may be taken.
Admissions
Children are admitted from two and a half years of age. At first, nursery may seen to be a very big, strange place with unfamiliar adults to a young child. Please be patient and be prepared to stay for as long as you and the staff feel is necessary. Children only learn when they feel happy and relaxed. Once your child is settled, always say good-bye before you leave and give assurance that you will be back soon.
It is very important that you child is collected on time. When you are only three or four years old it can be very upsetting to find that all the other children have been collected except you.
Transfers to Main School
Most children transfer to Reception when they are rising 4 years of age. The remaining children transfer to several primary schools in the area.
Visits to all of the schools can be arranged through the nursery.
Childrens Records
In the nursery we keep a record of each child's progress and hope that you will contribute to these at times. You will be able to see and discuss your child's records with a number of staff.
Clothing
A nursery class uniform may be purchased from the uniform shop in the main school. It consists of a Hurworth House sweatshirt, a T-shirt and track-suit bottoms. Your child will need a complete change of clothing in a bag and all articles of clothing should be named.