Haytor View

Community Primary School & Nursery

Learning together ~ enjoying success ~ aiming high ~ celebrating difference ~ enriching community

Haytor View

Community Primary School & Nursery

Learning together ~ enjoying success ~ aiming high ~ celebrating difference ~ enriching community

welcome to our nursery

The Foundation Stage / Nursery & Reception

Haytor View Foundation Stage Unit consists of a maintained Nursery class and Reception class. Our Early Years Foundation Stage children work in a truly integrated unit. This means there is no Reception or Nursery side to the classroom space. All children access and use all areas of the room. The large room also has two doors that lead into the garden area. In addition the children also have regular opportunities to use various spaces across the school grounds, hall, cooking room, small rooms, field and studio space.
Every child belongs to a small ‘family’ group that will have a number of children from Foundation 1 (F1) and Foundation 2 (F2). The children work in a mixed age group to support their personal and social development. The unit is staffed by a Specialist Leader in Early Years Education, a teacher, four level 3 qualified nursery nurses/ foundation practitioners. The staff are experienced, and work closely alongside all the children in the unit. Your child will have their own key worker but will also spend time working with all of the staff across the unit.

Session Times: 15 hour and 30 hour offer

The Foundation Stage at Haytor View consists of a 52 place Nursery class 26 each session and a 30 place reception class, which means we can accommodate 56 children at each session.

All children can access provision the term after their third birthday, they are entitled to universal 570-hour entitlement up to 15 hours a week of FREE Early years provision organised across 38 weeks of the year. Some children are entitled to two year old funding, we can admit children in receipt of funding from their third birthday. We also offer paid sessions for 3 year olds.

Sessions are arranged across the week in units of three hours, patterns of attendance are agreed with parents primarily, taking into account the educational, development and needs of the children.

Families that have an 11-digit code because they are working and eligible for the FREE extended entitlement can have up to 1140 hours stretched across a year. This equates to 30 hours a week over 38 weeks of the year.

Session times are:
• Morning sessions of 8.30am to 11.30am and
• Afternoon sessions of 12.20pm to 3.20pm and
• All day sessions of 9.00am to 3.00pm during term time only.

If parents want to buy additional hours on top of the 15 funded hours or the extended entitlement as their children are not eligible for Extended Entitlement funding, they can do this during our opening times. For children accessing the full day session (9am – 3pm) we offer an extended day early start drop off at 8.30 am and a late pick up at 3.20am.

The Extended Entitlement includes a lunch time, to ensure that this is as comfortable and appropriate as possible we restrict lunches to packed lunches only. These can be provided from home, alternatively our kitchen can provide a packed lunch for your children if your child qualifies for a free school meal or you wish to purchase a packed lunch. While the world of hot school meals will open to the children as they enter Reception and beyond we have recognised that the skills required and processes involved in accessing hot meals for children so young is an uncomfortably large challenge for them.

Hourly Rate Calculated at:
£13.00 per 3 hour session for children 3 years and above
£26 per 6 hour all day session for children 3 years and above
£30 per extended all day session for children 3 years and above

Early Years provision is from the term after their third birthday until the term after their fifth birthday. The table below shows when children become eligible to access the Early Years entitlement.

Autumn Term Nursery Update 1
On or afterAnd on or beforeFunding starts:
1 September31 DecemberSpring (after Christmas)
1 January31 MarchSummer (after Easter)
1 April31 AugustAutumn (after Summer)

Get in Touch

We welcome the opportunity to meet children and parents, we can offer a tour of the setting, talk to you about our offer and our provision. Your child can explore our environment and get a taste of the space and opportunities on offer.
This provides you and your child with the opportunity to spend some time in our provision, speak with our team and ask any questions you have.

If you wish to arrange for a visit or have any questions please get in touch:
School email address: admin@haytorview.devon.sch.uk
Speaking with school staff via telephone 01626 203040

CLICK HERE FOR THE Nursery Admissions Policy
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Relationships
At Haytor View we value building and supporting the development of strong relationships so that all of the children have the resilience to explore learning and challenge their own theories in a safe and emotionally secure environment. Within this structure we have 6 ‘family’ groups each with a key person who is responsible for the children’s progress – observing, recording, planning, tracking, assessing. These groups meet every day to talk, have conversations together, as well as play little focused games and activities that help develop children’s learning. We call this period of the day “Family Time”. After Family Time your child will then work with various other children from different groups across the day depending on the focus and the skill being introduced at “Group Time”
Supporting children to settle
At the beginning of each session, we ask parents to support their child to hang up their coat, to change their book, to find their key person and say hello. Children from F1 and F2 will have their coat hooks across both sides of the unit. The first 10/15 minutes of the session are a chance for parents to pass on information and have a brief chat with their key person, before saying goodbye to their child. We will be closing the unit doors at 8.45 each day so that we can be sitting in our family groups by 8.50am. For the afternoon session we will close the doors at 12.30pm and be ready for afternoon Family Time at 12.35pm
A child’s voice
Central to our work at Haytor View is the importance we give to the voice of the child. We actively listen to children – seeking to find out what they are interested in, what questions they have and what they would like to know more about. Our role is to support the children in this journey so that they discover how exciting learning can be. This means our curriculum content is flexible as children’s interests change and it can be very varied. Our aim is that all the children who come here become independent, confident, caring and responsible young learners, who leave the Foundation Stage with a real love of learning. The needs of each child will vary and we work very hard to cater for this difference. You will be able to hear and read the children’s voice in the documentation we display. The process of documenting a child’s voice allows us to make their learning visible to you and other children in the setting. This documentation is captured in words and pictures to tell their learning story.
Playing / Learning
“Just Playing” You may think that children are “Just Playing” when you see young children working in the Foundation Stage Unit. However, if you look closely you will see a whole world of learning happening. This is because young children are ‘active learners’ and the experiences we offer are specifically planned to enhance the all around development of the child. We want to enable each child to be a successful achiever in a safe, secure environment. Spontaneous learning opportunities are recognised and extended by the teachers as they occur. We encourage children to be active learners, to play with materials and through their play to explore and discover new ideas, skills and concepts. It is often during this the active process that learning is taking place and sometimes there may not be a visible end product. The process involved is the most important aspect of the learning. What have you done today? Is a question frequently used when children are collected to go home. However, when children come home from working all day in the Foundation Stage a common reply is “ I’ve done nothing” . The children have often been engaged in so many different activities it is difficult for them to recall and sequence them all. Allow them time they will recall important moments later in the evening or the next day.
Settling in / Transitions
We know that children only learn when they feel happy and relaxed, so the process of settling children in to the unit is planned on an individual basis. The first few weeks are really important as the children settle into the school environment and we all get to know one another. We structure each transition to allow a family member to join the children for the first week. This support is vital and ensures the children feel comfortable playing alongside a familiar adult as we introduce them to the different elements of the school day.
Independence skills
Small but vital thing that will help build your child’s independence skills as they get ready for attending our Foundation Stage Unit: ⇨ Encourage your child to take off their own shoes, socks and jumper and to dress themselves, even though it will take a little longer these are vital skills towards being independent. ⇨ Let them take off their coats, hang them up and put it on – all by themselves. ⇨ Let them change and select their own story book ( Children love to repeat the same story so don’t worry if they want the same book for a few weeks!) ⇨ Children may also choose to spend part or all of each session outside so please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather across the year, winter hats and gloves and summer hats etc. ⇨ Please check that your child’s belongings; coat, shoes, bags or any items of clothing which your child is likely to take off are clearly named to ensure they don’t get lost. Please write their names clearly so that they can recognise their own clothing.
Key Worker
Every child across the Foundation Stage belongs to a smaller “Family” group with their “Key Person”, an adult who will build close, warm and supportive relationships within the group. They meet together at the start of every session at family time.
Learning Journals
Each child’s has a learning journal that is completed by your child’s key person and other staff members. We hope you will enjoy being involved in talking about your child’s learning at home as sharing these experiences helps us to plan activities to suit your child’s needs. You are welcome to look at your child’s journals at any time. Your child’s learning journal goes home with them permanently when they leave the Foundation stage and move into Y1.
What to wear/ to bring
Things your child will need when starting in the Foundation Stage Unit • ALL children will need a school book bag, this must be brought into school each day. • A spare pair of socks and clearly named pair of Wellington boots • PLEASE LABEL ALL ITEMS OF YOUR CHILD’S CLOTHING (YES even shoes!) so that they can be easily identified ( please recheck after each wash) • F2 children ONLY will need a draw string P.E bag and a pair of blue shorts (P.E bags and book bags are available from the school office)
Snacks
Your child will be given a snack every day. They will be offered milk, cooled water and a piece of fresh fruit. Children attending F1 do not need to bring in any additional snacks or drinks. Children attending F2 may wish to bring an additional healthy snack when they stay for the whole day.
Bookbags
When your child started they child will need a book bag, these can be purchased from the school office. Your child can borrow books from the School Library box at anytime. All library books are identified on the back cover with a ‘Haytor View Community School label or Devon Library service. Please support your child in selecting and exchanged one book every day.
All about me’ Bags
All children have a white bag on their peg. You can use your bag to bring things in. We ask that children do not bring in their toys from home instead please share photos, things they have collected on a walk to the park, beach etc. This sharing and talking is a great way of encouraging children to speak and listen to each other in small groups. Please do not allow your child to bring toys into the setting as your child’s special toys can get lost or broken in a busy Foundation Unit.
Nursery F1 induction
The first few weeks as the children settle into the school environment is really important as we all get to know one another. All children come to Foundation Stage Unit with a wide range of past experiences and need to settle into our Nursery routine in their own time and in their own way. Your child’s key worker will always be available to discuss any concerns you may have as your child settles. Every day the children have opportunities to work with paint, glue, clay, sand, water, mud etc. Although we have aprons for messy activities and waterproofs for outside children will still get dirty as they explore the wide range of materials available. Children may also choose to spend part or all of each session outside so please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. Please provide extra layers for their boots as well a warm hat and gloves in the winter, a protective sun hats when we finally see those sunny days. Please ensure that all of your child’s belongings; coat, shoes, bags etc are CLEARLY named so that they don’t get lost.
Timetable
8.30-8.50 / 12.20-12.35
 
Welcome Time – Time to Think Children arrive and register with their key Worker. Staff and parents have time to chat and children can show parents what they have been learning. Children can meet up with their friends and talk about what they have been doing at home and what they might do that day.
9.00-9.30 / 12.40-1.10
 
Monday to Friday- Key Worker Group Time Adult directed activity in their small key worker group, focused around a key skill. Learning is based on what the children already know; their skills and knowledge. We then move onto a group discussion where we focus on what the children want to know; the thing or topic that is motivating them to learn, or our previous days learning. After the guided activity the children plan what they are going to do during the main part of the session some children choose to continue the group time activity. The key worker supports the planning process and monitors the children’s involvement and choices. Wednesday AM: in base 1 we use the hall for P.E sessions. Thursday PM: session base 2 use the hall for P.E sessions
9.35–10.30 / 1.10–2.30 Main Session Children are able to access the whole of the Foundation Stage Unit, inside and out. Staff are based across the areas, while others are working on focused activities with individuals or small groups of children, based around our play based curriculum.
10.30–10.40 / 2.30–2.40 Tidy up Time This is an important part of the session as it encourages children and staff to have respect for the Foundation environment, the resources and each other as they tidy up together making sure everything is back in the correct space and clean, ready for the afternoon class.
10.40-10.55 / 2.40—2.50 Review time We gather together at the end of the session in their key groups. Individuals or groups of children may want to share some learning that has taken place during the session and to plan for our next steps for the following day. Snack is shared together as they recall the session and their learning.
11.00-11.25 / 2.50—3.10
 The children are gathered together in small groups to focus on skill leveled phonics and language development. The staff plan around a core book for the language session; this may be presented in a range ways for example- a told story time a or sensory activity etc.
11.30am Morning F1 children are collected to go home.
3.15pm Full time F2 children are collected to go home
3.20pm Afternoon F1 children are collected to go home
Full time children in F2 11.30am -12.00 F2 children stay for lunch in the school hall. The children then return to the unit.
12.00- 12.30 The children listen to a story which is presented through a core book, story square or told story. They also engage the handwriting rhymes for that day.
12.30pm the afternoon session starts :- see timings and structure linked to the morning sessions.

The Butterfly

I remember one morning when I discovered a cocoon in the back of a tree just as a butterfly was making a hole in its case and preparing to come out. I waited a while, but it was too long in appearing and I was impatient. I bent over it and breathed on it to warm it. I warmed it as quickly as I could and the miracle began to happen before my eyes, faster than life. The case opened, the butterfly started slowly crawling out, and I shall never forget my horror when I saw how its wings were folded back and crumpled: the wretched butterfly tried with its whole trembling body to unfold them. Bending over it. I tried to help it with my breath, in vain.

It needed to be hatched out patiently and the unfolding of the wings should be a gradual process in the sun. Now it was too late. My breath has forced the butterfly to appear all crumpled, before its time. It struggled desperately and, a few seconds later, died in the palm of my hands.

That little body is, I do believe, the greatest weight I have on my conscience, For I realize today that it is a mortal sin to violate the laws of nature. We should not hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm

(from Zorba the Greek, Kazantakis).

Remember this quote when you think of young children starting school. We always make sure the butterflies in our care have a chance to let their wings dry out so that they can REALLY TRULY FLY…….

A Child is like a butterfly in the wind
Some can fly higher than others
But each one flies the best it can
Why compare one to another?
Each one is different
Each one is special
Each one is beautiful