Nursery

Welcome to Blenheim Primary Nursery!

We look forward to getting to know you and your child.

This year we have named our classes after capital cities. This year, Nursery is called Vienna Class which is the capital of Austria.

Here are a few interesting facts about Vienna:

The famous Schönbrunn Palace has more than 1,440 rooms.
The oldest zoo in the world is in Vienna.
Vienna invented the snow globe and croissants!
Vienna has a population of over 2 million people which represents nearly one-third of the total population of the country!

Our staff are:

Mrs Charlesworth Russell
Deputy Head Teacher and Foundation Stage Leader

Miss Claydon
Nursery Teacher and school RE lead

Miss Small

Nursery Practitioner

Mrs Desai

Nursery teaching assistant

Miss Lister

SEND Support assistant

Our Nursery

Our 39 place Nursery offers fully flexible provision from 8.45am to 3.15pm. All children are entitled through NEG funding, to receive 15 hours free Nursery education per week, from their third birthday and some 30 hours free. If you require more hours for your child please request a place with the nursery teachers. There will be additional fees for this which will need to be paid weekly at the school office. Please go online (www.gov.co.uk) to see if you are entitled to 30 hours

Children are admitted at the start of each term, when places are available. We have a waiting list and you can add your child's name by visiting the main school office and filling out a form, the team can help you with this.

When we are able to offer your child a place, you will be invited to visit the Nursery and meet the staff. This is followed by two members of Nursery staff visiting your child at home. We believe that there should be a strong partnership between home and school, together supporting your child as they make their first tentative steps on their journey through school. This visit is a good way of us getting to know you and your child and offers you the opportunity to find out more about what will happen whilst your child is at the nursery If English is not your first language, you may like to invite a friend to translate for you.

The Nursery is arranged in 'areas of provision' which support the principals of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Your child will be encouraged to explore these areas, developing independence and confidence, taking increasing responsibility for their own learning. The nursery practitioners observe children as they learn through play, identifying learning styles and 'next steps' for individual children, which in turn informs the changes and enhancement of the provision. More information about the EYFS can be found at www.foundationyears.org.uk as well as the Department for Education website: www.education.gov.uk/publications.

Parents are welcome to join their child in play at the start of each nursery session. Throughout the year, parents are invited to specific events such as story telling, reading and number workshops, family fun days and concerts. What the children are specifically learning throughout the week is displayed for parents and we are always very interested to hear about what the children are learning at home.

Our Vision

Our Intent

At Blenheim Primary school we believe that learning in the early years should be primarily first hand, experiential, active and fun for our children. We will give young children opportunities and space to explore and discover in a secure environment. We recognise that although all children follow sequential patterns of development, every child is unique, having their own competencies which need to be brought out and built upon. Young children’s learning should be embedded in what is familiar, involving play as an essential and rich part of the learning process. Learning should always be a pleasurable and rewarding experience, taking place in a social context. We encourage children’s independence and autonomy with them taking responsibility for their learning as much as possible in an atmosphere of security and self- regulation. We also believe that young children learn best when their well-being levels are high.

Our curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning, both from previous settings and their experiences at home. We work in partnership with parents, carers and other settings to provide the best possible start at Blenheim, ensuring each individual reaches their full potential from their various starting points. Our curriculum has been designed to enable children to succeed through high expectations, cooperative and collaborative learning principles; as such Communication and Language, including Oracy, is at the heart of everything that we do. We recognise that oracy not only improves academic outcomes but is a life skill to ensure success beyond school, in life and future employment. Oracy develops children’s thinking and understanding, which in turn promotes self-confidence, resilience and empathy which support the child’s well-being. Our enabling environments of warm, skilful adult interactions support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration. We believe that high level engagement ensures high level attainment. We therefore provide an engaging curriculum that maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and learning experiences, as well as promoting the unique child by offering a mixture of pedagogical approaches that are specific to our children’s needs, including play and sustained thinking. By the end of the Reception year, our intent is to ensure that all of our children, regardless of their starting points, make rapid progress and are equipped with the skills and knowledge to have a smooth transition into Year 1 and the foundation stones for a successful and healthy life beyond. We are aiming high in the heart of the City!

Our implementation

Each half term, our staff introduce a new theme to provide inspiration for learning, whilst providing the flexibility for children to follow their own interests and ideas. Children learn through a balance of child-initiated and adult-directed activities. The timetable is carefully structured so that children have directed teaching during the day. These sessions are followed by small focused group work. This means the teacher can systematically check for understanding, identify and respond to misconceptions quickly and provide real-time verbal feedback which results in a strong impact on the acquisition of new learning. Children are provided with plenty of time to engage in ‘exploration’ throughout the variety of experiences carefully planned to engage and challenge them in the provision. English and Reading is at the heart of our school and our aim is to encourage a love of reading right from the start. We expose our children to a range of books that not only develop a love of reading, but have been chosen specifically to develop their oracy, vocabulary and comprehension. Books will be embedded in our provision through activities, story sessions and on display for children to access independently. Through this, children begin to internalise new vocabulary, language patterns and begin to retell stories. There is cohesion and consistency with our approach to align with the whole school English Curriculum that is followed from Years 1-6. This includes the following:

The inclusion of high-quality texts which are age and stage appropriate
Modelled reading and re-telling opportunities across each session
A focus on rich vocabulary
Dedicated daily phonics sessions following a whole school approach to RWI
Children are encouraged to read at home and are listened to regularly in school. They are given books that match their phonic knowledge in order for them to apply their learning with the aim of becoming successful, confident and fluent readers.

We believe that our Mathematics in the Early Years is high-quality and is provided via our learning environment and meaningful interactions with adults supporting children in developing mathematical thinking and discussion. Our children learn through a variety of pedagogical approaches which are then rehearsed, applied and recorded within their own child-led exploration. Children in Reception have daily teacher-led Math’s sessions to develop fluency, revisit key concepts and address misconceptions. Our children develop a love of maths through games, songs, rhymes, and play using concrete manipulatives.

Our wider curriculum is taught through the learning areas: ‘Understanding of the World’ and ‘Expressive Arts and Design.’ EYFS staff have a good understanding of how ELG’s feed into the National Curriculum through our robust planning and CPD opportunities. Subject leader colleagues throughout the school are also aware of the key ELG’s that link to each foundation subject and the progression of the subject. Exciting, purposeful and contextual activities are planned to build on the children’s natural curiosity. For example, building a house for their favourite toy enables them to think like a ‘Scientist’ and ‘Engineer’ as they explore a range of materials and test out their own ideas. Building further on our oracy focus, children will be encouraged to employ subject specific language and terminology in foundation subjects, and such vocabulary will be modelled, both verbally and orally, by supporting practitioners. Our inclusive approach means that we have a range of additional intervention and support for children who may not be reaching their potential, or are showing a greater depth of understanding and need further challenge. This includes, for example, sessions for developing speech and language, social skills, fine motor skills, phonics, and mathematics. In addition, we have a higher than average number of children on EHCPs, where bespoke plans have identified that learning may need to take place away from the classroom due to specific or sensory needs. Regular monitoring of teaching and learning by SLT and the EYFS leader ensure staff develop good subject knowledge. The EYFS leader ensures staff receive CPD specific to Early Years to develop their practice.

Our impact

Prior to children starting, staff spend time speaking to the child’s parents/carers, previous settings and read previous learning journeys to gain an understanding of the whole child and where they are at. This has a very positive impact upon the beginnings of very positive relationships with staff which in turn enables children to feel happy and settled at school very quickly. Research shows that when ‘…happiness and education are properly connected, a good education should follow, leading back to significant personal happiness.’ (N.Noddings 2003:1)

During the first half term in Nursery or Reception, all staff use ongoing assessments, observations and conversations with the child and parents/carers to develop a baseline assessment. This ensures the identification of each individual’s starting points in all areas which in turn enables staff to accurately plan experiences to ensure maximum progress.

The RBA (Statutory Reception Baseline Assessment) is carried out in the first term. This assessment focuses on ‘Language, Communication and Literacy,’ and ‘Mathematics.’ The impact of this is to show the progress children make from Reception until the end of KS2. It also supports with the summative half-termly teacher assessment and adds to the overall accuracy.

NELI (Nuffield Early Language Intervention) NELI is an evidence-based oral language intervention for children who show difficulties or weakness in their oral language skills and who are therefore at risk of experiencing difficulty with reading. The assessment informs us if the child is at expected for their age or requires intervention from trained NELI practitioners. This ensures that the correct children get the exacting intervention tailor made to their needs. This intervention is highly recommended by the EEF and shows, on average, a positive impact of 4+ months catch up.

Ongoing Observation: All ongoing observations are used to inform weekly planning and identify children’s next steps. This formative assessment does not involve prolonged periods of time away from the children or excessive paper work. Practitioners draw on their knowledge of the child and their own expert professional judgements through discussions with other practitioners, photographs and physical examples such as a child’s drawing / making. Some observations are uploaded using Tapestry and shared with the supporting parents and carers. Other examples are kept in individual files; these are important for the impact of teacher-based assessments as this ensures appropriate levels of challenge are given to all.

Phonic assessments are carried out using a RWI tracker every half term to quickly identify pupils that are not making expected progress. The impact of this is that children to ‘keep up’ rather than ‘catch up’ where possible. Children that are making accelerated progress will be given challenge accordingly.

Summative assessments are completed three times per year and shared with parents, whereby the Class Teacher updates the progress children have made.

In Summer Term 2, the EYFSP is completed where teachers judge whether the child has met each of the 17 ELG’s. They will be assessed as either ‘emerging’ or ‘expected.’ Whilst there is no judgement to state if a child is exceeding beyond an ELG, teachers have a duty to provide a narrative for both parents and the Year 1 teacher and therefore report to the if a child is exceeding expectations. Impact is also evident through our successful transitions into Year 1. EYFS staff have a good understanding of how ELG’s link to the National Curriculum, and through our robust planning and delivery across the spectrum of subjects – both core and foundation. The impact of this is that the children leave the EYFS stage with the skills, knowledge and confidence to continue their journey into KS1 as prepared and ready as they possible can be.

Please click the links below to find out more about our curriculum

Nursery Long Term Plan and Key Skills 2024-2025

Reading

Reading is a hugely important part of the nursery day and we want all of our children to enjoy reading. Please find a below a guide to give you ideas on how you can help your child at home;

/docs/EY_reading_guide_for_parents.docx

Phonics

Phonics also plays a HUGE role as part of your child's day at school .

We have phonics sessions daily, following the Read, Write, Inc! phonics scheme.

In the above reading guide you will find information on how to help your child with phonics too. You can help your child by learning the rhymes for each sound (phoneme) to help them with their letter formation. please see the below link for more!

READ,WRITE,INC rhymes

Maths

In nursery, we adopt the maths mastery approach focusing on deepening the children's understanding of concepts. We ensure that children have a thorough understanding of numbers and other mathematical concepts they already know, by being able to use them in their play to set and solve problems