Nursery

The Nursery at Coniston CE Primary School aims to provide all the care, interest and experiences found within the home, whilst providing extra resources, activities and a broader curriculum. It forms an extension of the home, a bridge between the intimate environment of the family and the wider horizon of the school.

We recognise that parents are the child’s first teachers and that this role continues throughout the child’s life. We therefore encourage parents to become directly involved in their child’s education and in the Nursery life in general.

Children are eligible to attend Nursery from the start of the school term after their third birthday (Jan, April & Sept.). Parents are invited, along with their child, to visit the Nursery & have a look around, meet the staff and ask any questions they may have. Home visits may also be arranged so that the Nursery teacher can meet the child in his/her familiar surroundings before attending Nursery.

The Nursery is open each morning from 9.00 am – 12 pm

The Nursery Curriculum forms the first part of the Foundation Stage and is structured around the Early Learning Goals.

The EYFS Framework explains how and what your child will be learning to support their healthy development. Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through seven areas of learning and development.

We plan an exciting and challenging curriculum based on our interaction and observation of children’s needs, interests, and stages of development across the seven areas of learning to enable the children to achieve and exceed the early learning goals.
All the seven areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected.
Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.

These three areas are the prime areas:
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children are also supported through the four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied.

The specific areas are:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

If you would like a more detailed copy of the Nursery Policy please enquire at the school office.

‘Every child has a spark…… our challenge is to ignite it.’

Induction Programme for Reception

Many children will have attended our nursery and will have already met the Reception teacher. In the summer term prior to starting school, your child will be invited to attend a number of half day sessions. They will join in classroom activities, have an opportunity to look round school, and perhaps stay for lunch and playtime.
During the first half term that the children start at school,
the school operates an induction programme, attending for an increasing number of sessions each week.
We would encourage your child to have a certain amount of independence when starting school and would hope that they could:

• change and dress on their own for P.E.
• use a knife and fork
• be able to hang their coats up and put them on for playtime

It is important that your child is able to use the toilet without assistance although we are prepared for the occasional accident.
For P.E. children will need a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and plimsolls (not trainers – for the purpose of large apparatus). These all need to be clearly labelled and kept in a bag which can hang from a peg.

Children are expected to come to school wearing the school uniform. School sweatshirts (royal blue) and polo shirts (white) are purchased through school.
From the very first day your child arrives at school she/he is encouraged to take books home to share with you. A wide range of reading material is available for your children to choose from. We start from what your child already knows about books and his/her interest in them.

We encourage children to read every day – sharing books with friends, peers and older children, increasing their interest and enjoyment. It is also a good idea to let the children see you reading books, magazines and newspapers.

• Make school somewhere that is exciting and fun – talk about all the different things the children will be doing.
• Encourage skills of using pens, pencils, paintbrushes etc.
• Read to, and with him/her, talking about pictures and the story.
• Encourage your child to write his/her name. Please only use a capital letter at the start of their name. All other letters should be lower case – e.g. Elizabeth.
• Encourage your child to play with other children, to help him/her share.
• Talk to your child and encourage him/her to answer in proper sentences, not just `Yes’ or `No’.
• Encourage your child to dress him/herself and to put his/her shoes on.
• Encourage your child to tidy up after him/herself.
• Spend time playing with your child.