We are extremely proud of our Nursery Provision
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At Airy Hill Nursery we prioritise:
Developing language and communication skills.
We know that speech, language and communication are a fundamental part of children’s overall development. We believe that the strong foundations and early interventions that we give our children through play, interactions, role play and modelling promote self-esteem, confidence, build social skills and support their behavioural and emotional development, therefore creating a secure foundation for reading and writing.
Early reading and mark making.
Enjoying books and reading stories from a very early age is crucial in the development of children. It helps with their ability to understand words, use their imagination and develop their speech, as well as being something they really enjoy. Thoughtfully chosen texts are read and re-read every half term and our provision is closely linked to them. We value children’s drawing and early mark making and through our storying approach writing is built into all areas of provision and follows children’s interests. We encourage children to draw and tell their stories, celebrating and sharing them together in class books and classroom displays. Everyone has a story to tell.
Physical development
Outdoor play is a very important part of children’s development. Our stimulating outdoor environments provide children with rich and engaging physical learning opportunities including daily play, weekly P.E in Reception and access to forest school sessions which help to develop a broad range of skills. Children are able to grow fruit and vegetables, watch tadpoles grow into frogs in our ponds, feed birds and squirrels, and take risks in a safe environment, climbing trees, making obstacle courses, riding bikes and scooters and cooking in our mud kitchens.
Developing a partnership with parents.
Developing strong partnerships with parents is extremely important to us. We recognise that parents and carers are children’s first and most enduring educators and we value being partners with them in their child’s education. We have an open door policy and encourage parents to come in with children at the beginning and end of each session. It is an opportunity to settle children to an activity, chat to staff about any concerns and share children’s learning that day. Parents are regularly invited to spend time playing alongside their children on themed mornings and story sessions. Parents meetings are held each term to talk about children’s progress and next steps. We use an online Learning Journey, Tapestry, which allows us to share observations with parents. We encourage parents to comment on these and share their own observations, through photos and videos of their children at home.
Nursery Arrangements
We have two nursery classes:
Nursery 1 is a dedicated space for our two year olds offering a nurturing space for up to eight children
Nursery 2 is a larger area offering up to 24 places to 3 &4 year old children, broadening their experiences as they play, learn and prepare for school life.
We currently have spaces in our nurseries – please call the school office on 01947 602688 for further information and to arrange an informal visit.
Nursery Times
Nursery 1 (2 year olds)
Morning session only: 9:00am – 12noon Monday to Friday
If there is sufficient demand, we also offer afternoon sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12:30pm – 3:30pm.
Nursery 2 (3 & 4 year olds)
Morning session: 8:45am – 12:15pm
Afternoon session: 12.30pm noon – 3:15pm
Free Hours
All three and four year olds are entitled to 15 hours of free nursery provision (universal funding) per week, regardless of a parents’ income.
For working parents, the funded childcare entitlement for three and four year olds has been increased to 30 hours per week from September 2017. You can apply for this through the Childcare Service. For further information please see the Nursery Funding Information section.
Our two year old sessions are either funded (income dependent) or paid. For further information please see the Nursery Funding Information section.
For paid sessions, the prices are as follows:
£15 per 3 hour session (morning or afternoon)
Payments should be made online via MCAS (My Child at School). You can find a user guide here Online Payment Guide for Nursery Parents
Nursery Funding
To apply for extended entitlement please visit the Childcare Choices website www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Help and support
If you need help completing the application form please contact the early years funding team on 01609 532970 or 532391.
Nursery funding for two year olds information for parents.pdf
Extended 30 hours childcare entitlement information for parents.pdf