Nursery Information
NURSERY INFORMATION 2017 -2018
Mrs Smith Miss Jay
Nursery Teacher LSA
Foundation Phase Leader
We are delighted that you have chosen for your child to explore their learning in our new nursery setting.
Nursery is often a child's first venture alone outside the safety of their family home. What children experience and learn in nursery can create strong and lasting foundations on which to build, so it is essential that the experiences are of the highest quality. We aim to provide a welcoming and vibrant environment for our children that will assist them in settling into the Nursery and develop meaningful relationships with other children and staff.
We look forward to working closely with all of our families on their learning journey.
"The school is a well ordered, calm, supportive community which values all pupils...it is a caring and fully inclusive community where staff and pupils demonstrate mutual trust and respect." (Estyn Inspection Report, 2013)
Admissions and Sessions
Your child is entitled to a free part-time nursery place in the term after their third birthday.
January and April Rising 3 places
Children turning 3 between 1 September and 31 December can start in the January following their third birthday.
Children turning 3 between 1 January and 31 March can start in the April following their third birthday.
Children are accepted into the Reception in the Autumn Term (September), provided they are 4 years old before the 31st August.
Nursery Sessions:
5 morning sessions 9.00am - 11.15am
5 afternoon sessions 1.00 pm - 3.15pm
Term Dates
School year 2017/18
|
Term |
Start |
Half term starts |
Half term ends |
Term ends |
|
Autumn term |
4 Sept 2017 |
30 Oct 2017 |
3 Nov 2017 |
22 Dec 2017 |
|
Spring term |
8 Jan 2018 |
19th Feb 2018 |
23 Feb 2018 |
29 Mar 2018 |
|
Summer term |
16 April 2018 |
28 May 2018 |
1 June 2018 |
24 Jul 2018 |
May Day : Monday 7th May 2018
Inset Days - (5 in total)
Monday 4th September 2017
Friday 22nd December 2017
Friday 16th February 2018
May 2018 - Polling Day T.B.C
Tuesday 24th July 2018
Settling In
'Fantastic school with fantastic teachers and teaching assistants. You have enabled my child to settle and learn beyond expectation' (Year 1 parent)
In September, Nursery staff make home visits to all families. This is an informal, friendly opportunity to introduce ourselves and get to know a little bit about your child and their family.
On your child's first morning/afternoon session you will be invited to look around the Nursery with your child and become familiar with the space, staff and routines.
Please remember that all children are different - some may settle in quickly, whilst others may need a little more time. This can be an anxious time for parents as much as it is for children so, with this in mind, we offer you support and patience during this transition time.
Time spent settling in is time well invested for the children's security and confidence.
What to Wear
We have adapted our school uniform for Nursery to ensure our children can access the Early Years Curriculum and activities. Many of the activities in nursery are messy so we ask that children are dressed in 'active play' clothes that nobody need worry about e.g.
- elasticated soft joggers or play trousers (no buttons, zips or fasteners as these can be tricky when rushing for the toilet!)
- plain t-shirts or polo shirts (no sporting logos or motifs, pictures or captions)
- School jumpers or cardigans (may be purchased from National Schoolwear Centre Tel: 01633 222261) Sturdy footwear- strong shoes/boots for the winter and sandals for the summer (no strappy sandals)
- A warm coat and a lighter showerproof coat
- A pair of wellington boots to leave in nursery
All clothes and equipment must be clearly labelled with your child's name.
Healthy Living and Snacks
All pupils in Foundation Phase classes receive one third of a pint (189ml) of free milk daily. We would ask that the children bring a clearly labelled piece of fruit each day as their snack.
Foundation Phase
The Foundation Phase is the statutory curriculum that covers ages 3-7 (Nursery through to Year 2) and consists of seven areas of learning:
Ø Personal and Social Development, Well-Being and Cultural Diversity
Ø Language, Literacy and Communication Skills
Ø Mathematical Development
Ø Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Ø Physical Development
Ø Creative Development
Ø Welsh Language Development
In Nursery your child will have an opportunity to 'learn through play' in mini projects, developing basic but very important skills in English, Maths and Welsh as well as learning about themselves and the world around them.
One of the key features that makes our curriculum unique is the way in which we ask the children to contribute to it, we listen to what they would like to learn about and then tailor the curriculum to them. Play activities are provided in a happy, secure environment to stimulate interest whilst developing the children's own personalities. Staff will spend time with your child, initiating learning and educational skills in preparation for school.
At Mount Pleasant Primary School we believe deeply in three elements that are vital to a quality early education: observing and understanding our children, using meaningful contexts to develop learning and the provision of a well-resourced, stimulating environment.
Learning Journals
A record of your child's progress will be kept in a Learning Journal. These records will include a commentary that explains your child's play and the learning involved. These will be accessible to you and your children, to share together. We encourage parents involvement in these journal, sharing stories from home, which will allow us to plan to meet the children's individual need and interests.
Key Person
Every child belongs to a little 'family group', with a key person who will take great care of them. These groups meet at the start and end of each session to talk, plan the children's play, as well as play short focused games and activities that help develop children's learning.
At the beginning of each session, we ask parents to support children in hanging up their coat and collecting their name-tag to give to their key person. The first 10 minutes of the session is a chance for parents to greet, pass on information and have a brief chat with their key person.
The key person is crucial in developing positive relationships with our families and we at Mount Pleasant Primary School place value in giving time to everyone, as fairly as possible. Should you require a private appointment, please contact school to arrange a convenient time.
How can you help your child?
We firmly believe education is a partnership between home and school. To help settle your child in to school we would ask that you:
- ensure your child arrives at school and is collected on time
- report an absence to school via the school office Tel: 01633 894820. If your child is unable to attend their session we ask that parents let us know as soon as possible. If they are poorly, we insist that they remain at home until they are fully recovered to prevent the risk of infection. Should your child become ill whilst at nursery, we will contact you or one of your named emergency contacts. It is vital that you keep us up-to-date with contact names and numbers.
- raise any concerns you may have about Additional Educational Needs for your child
- ensure your child has the right equipment with them for their session
- support our school policy on acceptable behaviour
- attend school meetings and play an active role in events
- help your child at home
- keep us informed of any medical concerns
- sign and support the Home/School Agreement that will be brought to home visits
