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Sherburn Hungate Nursery Dear Parent Welcome to the Sherburn Hungate Nursery Unit. We are very proud of our nursery, which was opened in April 1998 surrounded by its secure outdoor play area and adjacent to the school’s wildlife area both of which offer a rich environment for your child. It currently offers places for 39 children in two separate morning and afternoon sessions. The nursery class is the first step for many of our local children in our school and we greatly value the experience and learning opportunities that the children receive. This handbook is addressed to all our parents and friends and we hope it will be useful to you. In it we have put down our aims, brief outlines of the nursery curriculum, some details of our organisation and certain matters of routine, which help to keep the nursery running smoothly. Please keep the booklet safe so you can refer to it when necessary in the future. You can also find further up to date information about the school on our website: www.sherburnhungate.n-yorks.sch.uk We hope your child will enjoy a happy, interesting and fruitful time in our nursery class and I look forward to meeting you in the future. Yours sincerely M J Whaley Headteacher STAFFING Nursery teachers: Mrs Janice Darley Nursery Nurse: Mrs Jayne Everitt (afternoon session) ADMISSIONS Our nursery is mainly for children in the Sherburn Hungate catchment area. Children living outside this area may be eligible for consideration for a priority place (please see the ‘Admissions Policy’ at the back of this handbook). Children are admitted to the nursery in the September prior to their fourth birthday, providing places are available. You can register your child’s name for a place in the nursery class by contacting the school secretary (the earlier the better!). You will then be asked to confirm your request for a place a few months in advance of the September start so that if your application is unsuccessful you are able to make other arrangements. SESSIONS The nursery has two sessions each day, in each week during term time. · There is a morning session (9.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.) for 13 pupils and · There is an afternoon session (12.35 pm to 3.05 pm.) for 26 pupils. IN OUR NURSERY We aim to create a stimulating and varied environment in which your child feels safe and happy and will flourish socially, physically and academically. We want children to grow in confidence and take positive steps towards independence. We have an Early Years Co-ordinator who ensures there is close liaison and planning between our reception classes and nursery class. All three classes share the outside play area. We offer your child a variety of activities to meet our aims whilst fulfilling national expectations called ‘Early Learning Goals’ for children. We will help your child to develop through carefully planned activities in six main areas:- 1) Personal, Social, Emotional Development 2) Communication, Language and Literacy 3) Mathematical Development 4) Knowledge and Understanding of the World 5) Physical Development 6) Creative Development Most of the activities will be founded in your child’s play. Please remember: Nursery is a time to play - play is your child’s work.
EACH DAY When your child enters the nursery we hope they will hang up their own coat and bag and then find their own name and ‘post it’ in the question box. This helps develop independence. There will then be a choice of educational play activities available, usually based on tables or areas of the classroom, such as: Sand - damp or dry Water - sometimes coloured or bubbly Natural materials, i.e. in addition to above - peat, salt, sawdust and flour. Home Corner/Role Play - hospital, shop, travel agents, fire station, airport and three bears’ cottage. Small world imaginative play - play people, railway, farm and wild animals, dinosaurs, doll’s house, garage and cars. Malleable materials - play-dough and clay. Mark making - pencil, fibre-tip, coloured pencils, charcoal, chalk and markers. Creative experiences - painting, box modelling, fabric work, collage, marbling, printing and drawing.
Large construction - variety of large coloured bricks. Small construction - wide variety joined in different ways. e.g. Lego, Brio, Duplo, magnetic blocks and wooden bricks. Books - wide selection of stories including ‘Big Books’, poetry, jingles, rhymes and listening tapes. Table top activities- games and puzzles; sorting, ordering, grading materials; matching activities; pre-reading/pre-writing activities. Outdoor activities - which facilitate climbing, sliding, crawling, balancing, riding, catching and throwing. When we can we operate a free flow system where the children have access to outdoors for a majority of the session. It is therefore vital that the children come with the correct footwear, coat, gloves, hat (winter / summer), sun cream (when weather permits). Music - singing and using variety of tuned/untuned instruments. Computer - ICT skills through games which also develop children’s experience of pattern, shape, matching and phonics, etc. Snack time - each day at some time during the session. Baking. In all areas, children are encouraged to make decisions for them selves, to work collaboratively with other children, and to know that what they have to offer is valued.
WE ALSO GO INTO THE MAIN SCHOOL BUILDING EACH WEEK. For an assembly with the infant (Key stage 1) children where we may celebrate special days or events, listen to music and stories and sing songs. For a PE period when we use the school hall and experience both small and large apparatus. For swimming, in June and July, when we have a weekly swimming lesson in the outdoor pool. RECORDS We do keep records of children’s progress in each of the ‘Early Learning Goals’ areas and we make periodic observations of your child’s involvement in nursery activities, recording our findings in booklets, which are always available for you to see. In June and July you will also have the opportunity to meet with the teacher to discuss your child’s progress.
PARENTS You are the most important people in your child’s life and so we regard you as partners in your child’s education. If you are worried about your child settling, try not to let them know:- be positive! Please tell us if you are worried or have a problem. We will listen and try to help. We will tell you about different events via letters home and the nursery notice board in the children’s cloakroom. Parents can stay to help in the nursery from time to time when it is possible to work alongside and support the children if you wish. If this interests you please do speak to the nursery teacher. We look forward to working with you and hope you will feel at home with us in our nursery class. GENERAL INFORMATION 1. We do everything we can to make the nursery a warm and welcoming place for both adults and children. We hope children will settle down quickly and be happy. Parents can help us to achieve this by bringing your child to nursery regularly and punctually. 2. If your child has been off school please inform the staff of the reason (a record is kept). If you are taking a holiday, which affects your child’s attendance please complete a ‘holiday form’ and hand it in prior to the holiday. 3. If your child has a medical problem, which may affect them in the nursery please let us know so that we can help. 4. It helps us greatly if you could arrive at 12.35 p.m. for the afternoon session rather than before, as the playground adjacent to the Nursery is used by other children at that time. It is therefore quite busy. 5. If your child is brought to school by car please park disabledscript="mso-spacerun: yes"> Unfortunately our car park is only large enough for staff and visitors [better still - walk to school?] 6. When you pick your child up please come in good time, as your child will worry if you are late. If there is a problem collecting your child please telephone school. Remember your child must be collected by a responsible adult. If someone different is collecting your child please tell us. 7. Children do not wear a uniform in the nursery. Please do not dress your child in their best clothes as although we do provide aprons for ‘messy’ activities we cannot promise to always keep s/he clean. Do let them wear washable clothes. 8. When the nursery children participate in their PE lesson they are encouraged to get undressed and dressed themselves. Initially they will take shoes and socks off, progressing to doing PE in their underwear (vest and pants) and bare feet. 9. It is helpful for the children, and encourages their independence, if you can provide clothing and footwear that is easy to undo and take off, such as when going to the toilet (Velcro fasteners are great!). Accidents can happen, but don’t worry. A bag with spare clothing left on your child’s coat peg, just in case, helps for the first few weeks. 10. Please help us by making sure all clothing and footwear are clearly named. 11. Each week we operate a ‘library’ when your child can choose a book to share at home. Each child is provided with a zipped book bag to help keep the books clean. 12. To help us provide the children with a daily snack of milk, juice or water, and a variety of nutritious foods, we do ask for voluntary contributions of 50 pence a week which can be put in the money box daily or weekly. Your contributions also help fund our baking activities and occasional treats. [Please tell us if your child has any food allergies.] Children are also encouraged to bring in a piece of fruit at the beginning of each week. 13. School Holidays for 2004/2005:
School Holidays for 2005/2006:
There will be a further 4 staff training days (to be notified later) to be added to the September 2005 to July 2006 school year. (Please note Nursery children will have a “staggered start” with details about the start dates available from the Nursery teacher when you meet her). SHERBURN HUNGATE C P SCHOOL Nursery Intake Policy It shall be the policy that children are admitted each September on a part-time basis (5 sessions of 2 1/2 hours each week) prior to their fourth birthday. Should the sessions in the Nursery Unit be over sub-scribed then priority will be given as follows:- 1. Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs. 2. Children who are recommended by the Director of Social Services, including children in the care of the Local Authority, or by the appropriate Designated Medical Officer. 3. Children from homes disadvantaged by poor housing conditions or overcrowding, or from a background which is prejudicial to the child's normal educational development. 4. After the priority admissions shown above have been made, admissions will then be made for children within the schools normal catchment area. Allocation will be based oldest first. 5. Children from outside the school’s normal catchment area (nearest to school first). [These criteria are part of the admissions policy adopted by North Yorkshire County Council.] A register is kept of requests for future places and parents are written to at the beginning of the summer term each year asking whether they still wish to apply for a Nursery place. Following the return of reply slips places are offered, using the above criteria. During the second half of the summer term an intake meeting is held for parents and an Open day arranged whereby children and parents can also visit the Nursery Unit. 
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