Nursery

Shawclough Nursery

Foundation Stage Co-ordinator – Shayon Bali Nursery Teacher – Deborah Mellor Teaching Assistants – Daisy Room - Lesley Anderson, Jenny Hopkins Buttercup Room – Cheryl Bywater, Emma Webb Bilingual Teaching Assistant – Shabana Jehangir

Early Years Foundation Stage Children develop quickly in the Early Years, and at Shawclough we aim to do all we can to help children have the best possible start in life. We offer part time provision for children aged 2-3 in our Daisy Room and flexible entitlement for children aged 3-4 in our Buttercup Room.

We are a Rights Respecting school, and we strongly believe that children have a right to provision which enables them to develop their personalities, talents and abilities irrespective of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties, disabilities or gender.

Learning Activities are carefully planned using The Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework to support each child’s development. Practitioners work hard to develop positive relationships and to provide enabling environments.

Underpinning Rationale

Children are active learners.

They need first hand experience.

Opportunities must be given for exploratory play.

Self- esteem and self confidence are central.

Social responsibility and independent learning are an important part of the early years curriculum right from the start in our Daisy Room.

Excellence in the Early Years The Early Years Foundation Stage requires that children are provided with a curriculum that is child centred with an emphasis on play both inside and out.

Children who experience high quality education which fosters choice and responsibility are more successful socially and academically than those who experience a formal and rigid regime.

Characteristics of Effective Learning Playing and Exploring – Engagement Finding out and exploring Playing with what they know Being willing to ‘have a go’ Active learning – motivation Active Learning – Motivation Being involved and concentrating Keeping trying Enjoying achieving what they set out to do Creating and Thinking Critically – Thinking Having their own ideas Making links Choosing ways to do things

Prime Areas Personal, Social and Emotional Development Making relationships Self-confidence and self-awareness Managing feelings and behaviour Physical Development Moving and handling Health and self-care Communication and Language Listening and attention Understanding Speaking Specific Areas Literacy Reading Writing Mathematics Numbers Shape, space and measure Understanding the World People and communities The world Technology Expressive Arts and Design Exploring and using media and materials. Being imaginative.

Phonics Teaching in the Buttercup Room • • • • • • • •

The activities and games include…

Listening for sounds in the ENVIRONMENT Listening to and matching INSTRUMENTAL sounds Exploring sounds through BODY PERCUSSION Listening for and identifying RHYTHM AND RHYME Developing an understanding of ALLITERATION (b-b-b ball) Exploring mouth movements and VOICE SOUNDS (make your voice slide) ORAL BLENDING AND SEGMENTING of sounds in words (ch-ee-se)

Phonics Teaching in the Buttercup Room At Shawclough we recognise the importance of high quality phonics work when teaching children how to read and spell words. This approach ensures that young children are well placed to read and spell words with fluency and confidence by the time they are seven.

Phonics will be gradually introduced throughout the year.

Children will enjoy practical fun, adult led activities and games that encourage them to tune into sounds, listen to and remember sounds, and talk about sounds.

Parents as Partners At Shawclough Nursery we believe that Parents are the first and ongoing educators of their own children.

We wish to…

• Share knowledge.

• Develop a two way communication.

• Value and support each others role.

• Support child’s development and learning.

• We hold regular open days and have links with Howard Street Children’s Centre.

PREPARING FOR NURSERY •Talk, sing, play and share books with your child.

•Count everyday objects and talk about shapes of objects.

•Begin toilet training as soon as you feel your child is able.

•Encourage dressing and undressing as well as putting on coats and shoes INDEPENDENTLY. •Provide clothes that are easy to get on and off easily.

•(No jeans, No laces) •Send in spare clothes in case of accidents.

Schoolwear Must be appropriate (comfortable, washable and easy to get on and off.)

Denim clothing is not permitted in school.

Open toed shoes or shoes with heels are not appropriate.

Nursery provide sun hats in Summer.

No jewellery.

PLEASE NAME CLOTHES.

Shawclough Nursery has been awarded the Gold Award for Healthy Eating for 10 consecutive years. Children are provided with a selection of fruit and vegetables and other healthy options to try. We provide milk and water and regularly cook together.

Children brush their teeth in the buttercup room once a day as part of Nursery’s commitment to the Smiletime scheme.

Birthdays are celebrated healthily. You can gift a book to the class, or bring in fruit to celebrate.

We ask for an annual contribution of ÂŁ9 for the year to help cover the cost of cooking, and providing healthy feasts for festivals.

Home visits are a chance for Nursery Staff to meet children in a familiar and relaxed atmosphere. Visits are short (about 10-15 minutes) and sweet!! We hope to begin a positive relationship with your child as a result of the visit, so that they feel secure and confident to explore their new class when they start Nursery in September.

• Dummies are not recommended in school for reasons of hygiene, if your child uses a dummy at home, please limit their use, as they can be detrimental to speech and language development.

• Daisy Room staff require a small Tupperware in which to keep dummies if you feel that your child cannot manage without one.

•Buttercup Room parents please support and encourage your child with using the toilet over the summer months, prior to starting Nursery as this will minimise accidents and ensure that we can give all the children the attention they need.

• • • •

Nursery sessions are 3 hours long in both rooms.

8.30am-11.30am or 12.30pm-3.30pm.

Buttercup Room parents can pay for their child to stay for a packed lunch before or after sessions. (11.30am-12.30pm =£2.50) Lunch sessions must be booked in advance at the office.

To see if you are eligible for 30 hours entitlement visit… www.childcarechoices.gov.uk Please make sure the children arrive at the Nursery in good time and are picked up promptly. Children can become very anxious when left behind at the end of a session.