Our Locations
Outdoor
Learning & Sports
School
Garden
Noah's Ark Nursery, Westside
Nursery 2-4 Years
Outdoor Learning & Sports
Dolphin Nursery & Reception
Playground
Noah's Ark Nursery, Dolphin School Nursery 2-4 years & Reception to Year 6
Head to Head
At the heart of our ethos, these values embody our approach to develop meaningful, authentic and powerful relationships with the children and each other in the school All our children know each other and their teachers extremely well, enveloped in a family environment which supports their educational and
personal development, whether joining us in our nurseries or leaving at the end of Year 6. We make it our first priority to get to know your child and encourage them to feel that Dolphin School & Noah’s Ark is their ‘second home’.
To ensure each child feels safe and cared for and that they belong, we nurture secure attachments with loving, skilled teachers in order to foster independent, positive and creative learners.
Having small group sizes allows all children to be fully known and encouraged, supported and challenged at their own level. Their individual strengths are nurtured and developed to become agile and able pupils.
Our learning environment balances aspiration with warmth, kindness and praise. Children are at the heart of the curriculum which provokes a high level of engagement for critical thinking and a creative approach to finding depth in our learning. We give children strong foundations and positive attitudes to learning by helping them develop the necessary skills and knowledge they need for a life-long love of learning. They have a very local and global understanding of their worlds, navigating pitfalls and pressures with resilience and confidence
Building Character
The unique ethos of Dolphin School and Noah’s Ark provides a greater framework for character development than meets the eye, where children see positive and excellent behaviour modelled at every turn - being kind, supportive to one another and communicating with grace and confidence.
Positive interaction with peers and adults is key to the school and nurseries. Dolphin School & Noah’s Ark children are immersed in a world of wonder for each other and respect for their community
Keeping Active
Being physically active gives our Dolphin School & Noah’s Ark pupils the release they need to burn off energy! With Dolphin School sports staff visiting the nurseries, children enjoy specialist physical activities each week, developing their hand-eye coordination, core strength and skills such as throwing and catching.
We know that exercise and the great outdoors are brilliant ways to keep our focus, improve mental health and keep physically healthy We have a dedicated space on Wandsworth Common, alongside regular Forest School sessions which allows us to make full use of our outside learning curriculum - in all weathers!
Our playgroundhas no walls or concrete,but itdoeshavetrees,mud,sticks andbugs!
Literacy
Singing & performing, role play games and storytelling are just some of the ways we prepare children for the first stages of reading and writing. These activities help children to hear different sounds, understand characters and narratives, join in with phrases and increase their vocabulary In Reception, high-quality phonics teaching builds on from this strong start. The skills of hearing, identifying and using the patterns of sounds or phonemes to read written language are practised daily.
Alongside this, creative opportunities to develop core strength and fine motor skills provide a foundation for emergent writing Children are given individualised opportunities to develop finger strength through activities like manipulating dough, completing puzzles or threading blocks onto a rope, before learning correct letter formation in Reception
Meaningful writing activities allow children to capture their thinking and structure it for a range of purposes and audiences, whether this be writing party invitations, a set of instructions or simple stories based around their specific needs and goals.
Creative Play Developing early vision
In our Nursery and Early Years curriculum, children discover their world through creativity Imaginative play stimulates a comforting and rich environment for a child to explore through their Nursery and Reception years, leading to wonder and excitement. Activities are carefully designed to facilitate the acquisition of language and literacy skills, communication, sharing, and physical development.
Children learn to sing, to dance, to act, and to paint This helps to grow their confidence and speaking skills - whether in front of the class or in small groups, their creative journey starts from the very beginning
Language & Communication For meaningful relationships
The ability to express oneself in a way that others understand is a fundamental life skill that young children love ‘growing into’. We take the time to listen to each child and allow them the space to make their thoughts, ideas and feelings known
We know that young children’s conversations often jump from topic to topic and understand that sometimes they just need a bit more time to think! Pretend play is a great way to develop language skills and that can be in the home corner while preparing a meal, during small world play while making up a story or in the role play area while finding the right tool to repair a car.
Maths & Numeracy Developing a love of learning
Stacking blocks, finger rhymes and counting cars that go into a garage are some of the many ways that Early Years Maths takes place at Dolphin & Noah’s Ark. Our creative approach to developing early Maths skills allows our children to subtly build and refine their Maths knowledge during any particular task
Comparing sizes, arranging things in patterns and asking about how many pieces left are everyday Maths opportunities. It is amazing how many Maths conversations take place at tidy up time.
During our parent advice sessions, we encourage families to talk about Maths around the house, perhaps counting the eggs when baking, recoginising numbers at the bus stop, or counting houses in the car on the way to school Whatever the activity, there's always an option to talk about counting!
Book a visit by completing our online enquiry form or contact our Admissions Registrar, Mrs Benson.
head Meet pupils See lessons in action Talk to other parents? Come to an assembly? Receive regular updates?
After your initial visit, complete an application form and return it with the registration fee.
The school will be in contact with regard to an offer of a place.
admissions@dolphinschool.org.uk Organise a playdate!
www.dolphinschool.org.uk
A wonderful nursery that genuinely cares about bringing out the best in each and every individual pupil. The teachers and staff are incredibly kind and nurturing and the smaller class size means each child gets the support they need. I loved the easy transition to Reception
An exceptional nursery school in the heart of Northcote Road. Staff who genuinely care about creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Initially, I was concerned about the lack of outdoor space, but the children are taken to Wandsworth Common to run around, which is far better than a typical urban playground
I'm a parent of children at Dolphin School and can't rate it highly enough The school consistently turns out happy, considerate, thoughtful and engaged children. The entire school staff are unfailingly lovely - as evidenced by the huge smiles on the children's faces as they go into school each day! If only Dolphin did a secondary school as well
My children have absolutely thrived here; excellent teaching and amazing care from an understanding and very experienced team of teachers. I cannot recommend Noah’s Ark highly enough
What size are the classes?
at Dolphin School & Noah's Ark Q &
How many hours a week can my child attend your nursery?
What time does school start and finish?
How do the Early Years team communicate with parents?
When can my child join Dolphin School and Noah's Ark?
Providing we have spaces, we offer places in our nurseries from 2-4+ yrs old and in Reception from the age of 4.
Where do they have their playtimes and how often do they go outside?
