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, a teacher, two level 3 qualified nursery nurses/ foundation practitioners and two level 2 foundation workers. 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.
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Relationships

Supporting children to settle

A child’s voice

Playing / Learning

Settling in / Transitions

Independence skills

Key Worker

Learning Journals

What to wear/ to bring

Snacks

Bookbags
All about me’ Bags

Nursery F1 induction

Time Table

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.
Admissions and Session Times
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.
Children can access provision the term after their third birthday, they are entitled up to 15 hours a week of Early years provision organised across 38 weeks of the year. This is 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.
We offer the option for attending either :
• Morning sessions 8.30 – 11.30am
• Afternoon sessions 12.20pm – 3.20pm
We do not offer a combination of morning and afternoon sessions
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.
Children who are 3 years old between | Nursery Funding starts in this term |
1 April and 31 August | 1 September after their third birthday until they go to school |
1 September & 31 December | 1 January after their third birthday until they go to school |
1 January & 31 March | 1 April after their third birthday until they go to school |
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…….
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