Baby Room - Rugrats (3-18 months)
We have a dedicated room for the younger age group of children at the nursery. The building is light, bright, colourful and spacious and is designed with non-walkers, crawlers and early walkers in mind. We have an enclosed outdoor space with a canopy and astro turf, providing shade and shelter if it is raining, so that even the youngest of our children can always go outside for fresh air.
Our baby room routine is flexible, adapted to follow what you do at home as closely as possible. You will be given daily feedback detailing the times, amounts and food your child has eaten, when they slept and the key activities they have been doing. All drinks (except baby milk), food, nappies and wipes are provided. We ask you to bring spare clothing to put into a named bag and any sleep bags or comforters your child may use. We provide bedding for each child, stored for their own use for the days they attend, and washed on site once they are finished for that week and we have a quiet / sleep section of the room where all our babies can sleep undisturbed in their own pod.
We know that children under 2 years old are in a period of discovery and stimulation. We have an abundance of toys, resources and activities which are designed to help them develop their balance, coordination and motor skills, and stimulate their senses at ground level. As they become more independent, we will introduce toys that help them recognise objects, shapes and colours. They will enjoy messy play, musical activities and group mealtimes.
Toddler room – Munchkins (18 months – 3 years)
Once they are walking independently and are confident in their movement, we will discuss transitioning your child from Baby room across to the Toddler room. The Toddler room is larger with more space to explore for our newly mobile age group. All children across this age group will have activities designed to meet their stage of development.
In the Toddler room we will follow a more structured routine with set meal/ snack times where all children participate in group eating times, group activity times and outside play. We will include a wide range of activities including dough play, shape sorting, soft books, songs and musical activities, sand and water play, messy play, role play, fine motor skills, threading and mark making. A key focus will be on developing language and communication skills and introducing the children to self-care: starting to put on their own coats and shoes, potty training and hand washing.
Little Tykes – Rising (3-4 Years) and Pre-school – Half Pints (4-5 years)
From 3 years onwards, we will continue to use the early learning goals to provide structure to our activities and learning through play, whilst beginning to focus on the preparation for school.
We will design a wide variety of experiences and activities for the children that encourage them to make decisions and become independent learners. They will learn to recognise their names and to self-register – looking for and recognising their name card.
They will learn about the letters of the alphabets through our phonics work and progress from Little Tykes into Half Pints where they will learn to write their name, count numbers from 1-20 and beyond, learn the days of the week, about the weather and key events in the calendar. Mark making is key and is encouraged through the use of pencils, crayons, paints, in the sand tray and on the chalkboards. They will learn about mathematical concepts such as big and small, full and empty, big, bigger and biggest, as well as shapes, colours, animals and opposites. They will have the opportunity to use a variety of resources for exploration including sand, water, construction materials, paint, glue, chalks, scissors, measuring jugs and magnifying glasses, as well as being able to make believe in the role play area. Children will have opportunities to sing, dance and take part in physical activities outdoors.
In our pre-school room we have an interactive whiteboard which we will use to teach the children all sorts of concepts interactively through fun games and engaging characters. There is also a reading corner where the children can help themselves to books, a large white board on the wall for practising writing and group sessions held on the big rug; listening and telling stories, identifying words and signs and regular ‘show and share’ sessions.
Through our monthly topics, children will learn about themselves, the world around them, the seasons and other topics designed to engage them. Craft and creative activities will then be linked to the current topic and the children’s work displayed, giving them a sense of achievement and pride.
Our children will also cook, do yoga, dance and participate in singing and sports. Rugby Tots and Monkey Music are additional to fees. Please see our fees list.
We aim to encourage independent play, listening and concentrating, making friends, sharing and socialising. As part of our pre-school curriculum, we will build in more specific sessions which can have varying numbers of participants and focus on key skills in preparation for their move to school.
Overarching everything, your child’s key person is there to identify their learning and development needs and to plan activities and experiences that will assist them starting school.