Nursery are our youngest children.

Communication with parents is so important and we use face-to-face and online communication to ensure we know what is going on at home and parents are kept informed about their children in school. The staff will give you a log in for Dojo our online communication system for Foundation stage.

Nursery is all about social skills and getting children familiar with the routines of school life. The children have opportunities to develop their fine and gross motor skills, are exposed to lots of stories, rhyming and phonics and spend time exploring the world around them.

The children in Nursery are an integral part of the school and participate in many school experiences such as trips, nativities and some whole school assemblies. They have a sports day (with Reception). We encourage our Nursery parents to become fully involved in school life!

What are our topics and why are we teaching these?

We have an exciting year of topics planned which will motive and inspire through child-centred learning. Children’s interests are key to engagement and are threaded into our Nursery curriculum with a flexible approach. Our themes have been chosen based on the interests of our youngest children but also to expose them to new experiences and to develop new interests and fascinations.
 

Autumn Term – My new Nursery and Friends / It’s Magic!

This is centred around the child settling into their new Nursery as this is their first step into school life. We concentrate on establishing rules and routines, and forming relationships and developing communication skills with key people in the setting. We concentrate on the 3 Prime Areas: Personal, Social and Emotional development, Communication and Language and Physical Development. We learn about colours, including colours in the environment, through stories, games and play activities. The themed role-play areas both indoors and outdoors will develop their imagination and storytelling. We learn about key celebrations in their lives such as Christmas and Diwali.

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Spring – Transport / Down on the Farm & Growing

This term explores different forms of transport through stories, non-fiction books, songs and talking about their own personal experiences. We then move on to tractors and farm machinery before finding out about different farm animals and growing plants from seeds. Themed role-play and small world toys will develop imagination and allow children to share experiences.

As Spring approaches, we will be observing the changes in the environment and observing plants grow in our school garden and allotment. We grow sunflowers and observe the life cycle of a frog with real life experiences.

We learn about the key celebrations Pancake Day, Chinese New Year, Mother’s Day and Easter

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Summer – Traditional Tales / At the Seaside

We feel that it is important for children to know old stories and Traditional Tales such as The Little Red Hen, The 3 little Pigs, Goldilocks and the 3 Billy Goats Gruff.  The children will learn that stories have a beginning, end and different kinds of characters.

As the summer holiday approaches we will learn about the Seaside through stories, poems, exploring seaside objects and talking about their own experiences.

We learn key celebrations such as Father’s Day, Eid.

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TRANSITION - During this half term we ensure the children have a good transition program into the Reception class to ensure the children are ready and happy to start the next step in their school life.

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What are our mini-topics and why are we teaching these?
 

Autumn - Key Life-Skills

We feel that alongside the characteristics of effective learning it is important that children develop independence. We have chosen the following key skills for Nursery class so that they are prepared and confident for the transition into Reception

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I can hang up my coat

I can put on my coat

I can ask for help and remember to say please and thank you

I can follow a routine

I can tidy up

I can sit on the carpet

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Spring Term – Country: England

Children learn that they live in Laughton, which is in England. We expose children to a maps of the UK and identify England. We develop an awareness of other languages by saying Good Morning or Hello for the register in different languages and they understand their own first language and that we speak English at school.

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Summer Term – Global Issue: Litter

The intent behind this mini-topic is to develop pride in their classroom environment and how they can make a difference to improve our classroom and school grounds. The children are taught to tidy up the classroom and outdoor area and that it is important to put rubbish in the bin. We take part in a litter pick session in the school playground to develop pride and ownership of our environment.

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What are you trying to achieve in your year group?

In Nursery class, we build on the skills that we have learnt in prior pre-school settings and at home. Our Nursery curriculum is part of our whole EYFS curriculum that has been designed with the children of Laughton at the heart of it. Children begin to learn about themselves, the community and compares to other people, places and cultures. We want to ensure that all children leaving the Nursery are confident, independent and engaged learners ready for their journey through school.