At Northwood Prep Nursery we promote the early learning goals so that children can fulfil their potential at this vital stage in their development and can make a confident and smooth transition to full time education.
Personal, social and emotional development is given high priority and, through a wide range of experiences, children will develop a positive sense of themselves which will give them the best opportunity for success in other areas of learning.
The program of communication, language and literacy skills is designed to give the children the best possible start. In mathematics, practical activities are planned to ensure that concepts are clearly understood.
There are opportunities to explore, investigate and develop knowledge and understanding of the world. The provision of physical and creative activities builds up a wealth of skills.
Our aim is to ensure that children enjoy their Early Years' experiences in the care of skilful and sympathetic staff. We lay the foundations for your child's future success in a stimulating and caring environment.
CURRICULUM AT NURSERY
We have a very dedicated team of Nursery staff who are responsible for
planning and delivering the curriculum. The curriculum at Nursery follows
the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ which is organised into six areas of development:
1.Personal, Social and Emotional Development;
2.Communication, Language and Literacy;
3. Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy;
4.Knowledge and Understanding of the World;
5. Physical Development;
6.Creative Development.
In addition to a very generous adult to child staff ratio at Nursery, children receive
dedicated music lessons, a French lesson and a PE lesson delivered by specialist
teachers from Northwood Prep.
A TYPICAL DAY AT NURSERY
9.00am Children start arriving and are greeted by their Key Teacher
9.15am Registration
9.20am Activities (both teacher-initiated and child-initiated) inside and outside
10.00am Snack time and garden time (snacks are provided by parents)
11.00am Circle time (discussion in small groups)
11.40am Story time
12 noon Home time for some children
12 noon to 3.00pm Lunch time (packed lunch is provided by the parents)
and child-initiated activities and free play (inside and outside)
3.00pm Home time
BREAKFAST AND TEATIME CLUBS
In addition, there is both a Breakfast Club (from 7.45am) and Teatime Club (until 5.15pm) for those who need it. There is an extra charge for these facilities. Breakfast and Teatime Clubs are based at Northwood Prep and the children are transported between sites by minibus.
The Breakfast and Teatime Club Manager is also one of the Nursery staff and she plans activities in Breakfast and Teatime Club that are play-based.
SESSIONS AT NURSERY
Children start Nursery in the September after their 3rd birthday. All children stay for 5 morning sessions each week (from 9am to 12 noon). There are also afternoon sessions on offer (from 12 noon to 3.00pm) so that children can stay at Nursery all day. We are very flexible about the number of afternoon sessions that parents choose for their children. Some children start with just mornings and some children start with 5 full days, but the vast majority start with 5 mornings and a couple of afternoons and build up these sessions as the year goes on. There is an opportunity to increase the number of sessions in January and April.
PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING
The children at Nursery are happy and motivated young learners who are nurtured by our talented staff. The curriculum has been designed and tailored to be appropriate for 3 and 4 year old children so that it can meet their developmental needs.
The overarching philosophy of teaching at Nursery is learning through play. Play is a very powerful vehicle for learning and development, and extremely beneficial in promoting a variety of skills. Some play activities will be initiated a teacher and some will be initiated by a child. Both types of activity are equally important so that children benefit from their teachers’ wisdom as well as developing as independent learners. The curriculum at Nursery is an oral, practical curriculum that involves hands-on, first-hand experience. The curriculum does not include worksheets or workbooks as these are not appropriate for Nursery-aged children.
Some of the vital skills that are promoted at Nursery are: imagination, curiosity, oral language, general knowledge, motor skills, concentration, memory, independence. These skills are the building blocks in order to be a successful learner. With these skills in place, the children are ready to start the more formal aspects of learning, such as reading and writing, when they move to Reception at the end of Nursery.
3+ ASSESSMENTS
3+ assessments take place in November each year for entry to Nursery for the following September.
Candidates are invited to Nursery in groups of 10-15 children for a session that lasts about an hour.
The assessments are play-based and children will be invited to play with other children and with our Nursery staff.
Parents are invited to have a coffee in the adjoining room whilst their child is playing but it is also possible to stay with your child.
Our assessment criteria are three-fold. Firstly we are looking for signs that children will take direction from one of the teachers and respond to them. Secondly, we are looking for signs of sociability and finally we are looking to see that their oral language is developing.
Teachers completing the assessments are very experienced at working with young children and are very good at encouraging children and making them feel at ease.
Parents are notified of our decision by letter a few weeks after the assessment.
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