Welcome to Little Owls Nursery
Tel: 01273 077108 email: nicolapinney@goldstone.brighton-hove.sch.uk or pamowen@goldstone.brighton-hove.sch.uk
We warmly welcome you and your family to Little Owls Nursery and Goldstone Primary school. We aim to provide a happy, secure, friendly, and stimulating environment in which children can develop and grow. We are an important part of Goldstone Primary school and that brings many benefits, such as; attending weekly assemblies (which parents are invited to), being part of whole school learning weeks and using the large school field which has a fantastic garden, pond, and forest area.
We know that your child comes to nursery bringing a great deal of knowledge about themselves and their world. We hope to be able to work together with you, to build on and extend their developing interests, skills, and experiences. We believe that through first-hand experiences children can meet challenges, make decisions, and think creatively and critically. We are committed to working in partnership with parents: by working together, we can enhance your child’s learning.
We aim to ensure that each child’s individual needs are met, in an atmosphere that celebrates individuality and diversity, where everyone is included and everyone matters.
Settling In
Settling into nursery is an important time for young children and their families. For some children this will be the first time they have been left with another person and often the first time they have been left in a larger environment. We aim to make this process as smooth as possible. All children and families are unique and as such, their individual needs are taken into account throughout the settling in process. Saying goodbye at nursery may be very emotional for you. However, try to send your child off with a smile and a wave, along with reassurance that you‘ll be there to collect them later. Remember even distressed children settle very quickly once you are gone, so please make your exit quickly. If you are worried, talk your concerns through with a member of the Little Owls team.
If there is any information you would like, that we have not provided, please ask. Do talk about starting Nursery with your child so that they know what to expect. Let them know that it is a friendly place and something to look forward to.
First Half of The Week
Monday 9.00 am - 3.00 pm
Tuesday 9.00 am - 3.00 pm
Wednesday 8.45 am - 11.45 am
Second Half of The Week
Wednesday 12.00 pm- 3.00 pm
Thursday 9.00 am - 3.00 pm
Friday 9.00 am - 3.00 pm
Full Time
Monday to Friday 9.00 am - 3.00 pm
Morning Sessions
Monday to Friday 8.45am - 11.45 am
Afternoon Sessions
Monday to Friday 12.00 pm - 3.00 pm
All 3-4 year-olds are entitled to 15 funded hours a week.
Some 3 to 4-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours free childcare a week. This is for working parents. You can check if you are eligible at
www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
It is important to arrive and collect on time. If you will be unavoidably late picking up – please telephone so that we can explain this to your child. If someone other than yourself or a regular person that we have met before is picking up, then please phone the nursery.
Telephone number 01273 077108
If we are in any doubt, we will not send the child home until we have phoned you or your emergency contact.
Little Owls Staff
Pam Owen - Teacher
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday am.
Nicola Pinney - Nursery Manager
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Sarah Lee - Nursery Nurse
Sally Blackburn - Nursery Nurse
Yvonne Whittington - TA
Preparing for Nursery
How can I help prepare my child for nursery?
Preparing your child for nursery is very important. Here are some suggestions of things you can do to help:
Before they start nursery, try to get them used to other people. Encourage them to spend some time with a trusted adult away from home. Also, encourage other children to come and play, and let your child go to other children’s homes.
Encourage your child to independently put on and take off their coat, socks and shoes. This will enable your child to become more independent at nursery too.
Support them to feed themselves independently and use cutlery.
Support them to manage the toilet on their own and encourage them to ask clearly, when they need to go
Learning at Nursery
We believe that children learn through play. They are encouraged to join in all the activities, to be independent and to make choices. We offer a rich and varied curriculum in a safe and inviting environment. We understand that children develop at their own pace, but with encouragement and opportunity, they will reach their full potential. Children learn best when they are happy, safe and secure. The staff are there to guide and teach, and will get to know you and your child well during your time here. Our environment is planned to give children the opportunity to extend and develop their thinking and learning across all areas of the curriculum.
Play that is well planned and fun helps children to think, to increase their understanding and to improve their ability to use language. It allows children to be creative, to explore and investigate materials, to experiment and to draw and test their conclusions. We know that such experience is important in catching and sustaining children’s interest and motivating their learning as individuals and in co-operation with others.
Curriculum
Some information about the curriculum we follow in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
We follow the EYFS Statutory Framework which is the standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5. The EYFS is guided by a non-statutory framework called ‘Development Matters’ that sets out the learning, development and assessment requirements for all children until the end of their reception year.
All early year's practitioners are required to pursue daily rich activities to support each child’s educational development across seven areas of learning.
Record Keeping and Parent Consultations
Record Keeping/Parent Consultations
We recognise parents as the first and most important educators of their children. We value your role and look forward to working in partnership with you.
We are here to talk to you at the beginning and end of every day and of course, you can phone the nursery directly or email the teacher.
We hold regular parents consultations throughout the year.
In order to plan for your child’s development, all staff contribute to observations on your child’s development. We use Evidence Me which is a secure online Learning Journal to record photos, observations and comments.
You have access to your child’s learning journey and can view it at any time you wish. When your child enters Nursery, we set your child up with an account. This will enable you to view your child’s learning journey and see everything that they have been up to! You will receive an e-mail every time a new observation has been uploaded. Observations can include; pictures, videos or quotes of what your child has done/said. Alongside their observation, you will see that we have linked the observation to ‘Development Matters.’
You can also add your own observations to Evidence Me from home. We strongly believe that working together supports your child and gives them the best learning opportunities. Therefore, we value your input into these learning journals and would love to hear about events, activities, or achievements, which have happened at home.
Clothing
Please dress your child in comfortable clothes that are easy to manage so that your child can learn to be independent. Young children need to wear clothing that enables them to go to the toilet easily and independently so dungarees, belts, braces, and tight-fitting clothes are inappropriate.
Please, no lace up shoes at nursery. We have spare clothes available in case of accidents and would appreciate if these are washed and returned. Parents are advised that children should always have a spare set of clothes at Nursery. Please put these in a drawstring or long handled bag as rucksacks take up a lot of space, which means children are unable to access their pegs.
On most days, children need to have warm clothes to wear outside.When it is sunny, we advise that children wear clothing that protects them, as well as a sun hat and sun cream that you have put on at home.
We also recommend that children do not come to school wearing long skirts or flip-flop type footwear as these can be dangerous when climbing in the garden.
Lunch and Snack
If your child stays for lunch then please ensure that they have a healthy packed lunch. This could include a sandwich, a drink, yoghurt, and a piece of fruit. Children should not be given chocolate bars or sweets as part of their lunch. Due to nut allergies please do not give your child any food containing nuts as part of their packed lunch.
Please label your child’s lunch box with their name.
A healthy fruit or vegetable snack will be provided by nursery every day. We also provide children with their own water bottle.
Your child is entitled to free school milk.
You can apply for this online at www.coolmilk.com
Toys
Occasionally children like to bring a toy from home to show other children or an adult in the Nursery, or just for security. Could you please discourage this as much as possible. Treasures can easily be lost or misplaced which can be very upsetting for the child
Home/School Book Bag
Each child is given a school book bag and a home/school notebook.
The children will be given a book to take home to share with you.
Books are changed on a Tuesday and Thursday.
We ask if you could please write a short comment or tick to let us know if you have read the book. Then we know that we can change it for a different one.
Memory Books
During your child’s time in Little Owls, they will have a Memory Book that will contain observations, specific achievements and set class work. Samples of your child’s work and photos are collected by their key person and shared with you and your child throughout the year. We also welcome parents to contribute any Wow Moments from home.
Things you can do at home
Below are some activities you could do with your child to promote their development further.
Read to your child every day, talk about books, read familiar words to them - e.g. labels on their favourite foods, titles of TV programmes.
Listen to songs, music, stories and rhymes.
Encourage them to ask questions.
Count and use numbers in everyday situations.
Help them to match and sort objects e.g. putting knives and forks, cups and saucers and socks into pairs, sorting big and little objects, putting objects in order of size.
Encourage them to be more independent e.g. putting on their own clothes. Give them opportunities to help you around the house e.g. baking or food preparation.
Encourage them to express their own ideas and feelings through using crayons, pens, pencils, paint, music and play.
Make play dough; this is a fantastic activity that can really help strengthen your child’s small hand muscles that are used for writing.
Practise holding scissors and develop cutting skills by cutting magazines and catalogues.
We are really looking forward to sharing this important and exciting step of your child’s journey with them, with you and your family.
