Foundation Stage

Children may join Nursery from the age of 3. Morning sessions are from 8.45-11.45 and afternoon sessions from 12.45-3.30. We consider 3 sessions per week to be a minimum, but it is preferable for children to attend for 5 sessions per week as soon as possible after joining Nursery and progress to full time before they move on to Reception class. Details of fees for combined sessions are available on request. Lunch is included in the full day cost and is available as an optional extra for children attending morning or afternoon sessions. The Nursery is an integral part of the whole school and places will usually only be given to pupils intending to transfer to the main school.

Children in Nursery and Reception follow the Foundation Stage Curriculum, based on the six areas of learning:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication, Language and Literacy
• Mathematical Development
• Knowledge and Understanding of the World
• Physical Development
• Creative Development

This curriculum culminates in the Foundation Stage Profile at the end of Reception. It is a curriculum firmly based on learning through play, which values the partnership between home and school. Our children are taught in a new building designed specifically for the Foundation Stage. Outdoor education forms an integral part of the curriculum and both classes enjoy time spent exploring and investigating the outdoor environment.

Nursery children are paired with a Reading Buddy in Year 3, with whom they share books and talk about them once a fortnight. Reception children continue to meet their Reading Buddies from Year 4 and the paired classes often share a Welly Walk through the school grounds. This system facilitates integration between year groups and reinforces our ethos. It is very popular with all of the children and very good friendships are formed across year groups.