At George Tomlinson Nursery we follow Development Matters, which is the curriculum guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This guidance focuses not only on what children learn but how they learn. As a setting we provide children with opportunities to become independent thinkers and learners and the resources to enable them to drive their own learning through our continuous provision. 

The learning areas are:

• Communication & Language
• Personal, Social & Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts & Design

Our Nursery times are:

Morning sessions - 8:30am - 11:30am

Afternoon sessions - 12:30pm - 3:30pm

Full Time - 8:30am - 3:30pm 

30 hour code - 8:30am - 3:30pm x 4 days + 8:30am - 11:30am on a day that is convenient to you. This is equal to 31 hours.

If you would like to do 5 full days the cost is £30 for the extra session.

Spring Term 2025

During the Spring term we will continue to teach 'in the moment' and through children's individual interests. Most children will be learning to recognise and find their name card without their photograph and will begin to write or make marks to represent their name on their creations.

We have new children who have started with us this term, they will be learning to make positive relationships with both adults and children and learning new routines and expectations. Older children will help with these routines e.g. showing them where to put their name cards and and how to join in with games and singing. This will encourage independence and taking responsibility, which all children love!

We will be learning about the weather and noticing changes in our environment as we head towards Spring. We will explore the ice, frost and all our wonderful climate has to offer! We will be looking at the changes to our trees and plants as they grow.

We will be learning about the life cycle of caterpillars/butterflies when we take delivery of our caterpillar eggs after half term. We will use the visualiser to enable us to see in detail the eggs grow, make their cocoons and finally turn into butterflies. We will consolidate this learning by reading a range of fiction and Non-fiction books, singing songs and making representations using a variety of resources e.g. paint, pens, playdough, junk modelling materials. 

Phonics

We will be teaching phonics through developing listening skills, identifying sounds in the environment, using different voice sounds e.g. sh, ch, ooohhh. Reading rhyming stories and doing lots of singing of Nursery rhymes and action songs. We will begin to segment simple CVC words for children to blend the sounds together e.g. can you find your h-a-t. 

These essential early reading skills are taught in a fun and play based way, ensuring children are engaged in their learning. 

Maths

Maths is taught throughout the session using concrete resources, real experiences and through children's individual interests and play. Examples of this are; counting fruit into a bowl, modelling language of size, shape and positional when playing in the sandpit, with playdough and when children are climbing, to name a few. Matching numerals to quantity, counting using 1;1 correspondence (saying one number name for each item) and subitising (recognising how many without having to count).

Nursery Library

Children have the opportunity to borrow books from our Nursery library to enjoy at home. They are encouraged to choose for themselves and talk about the book when they are returned. Our library days will be Tuesday and Friday. Books can be changed on either or both of these days. 

Spare Clothes

Please bring spare clothes in a bag for your child. These don't need to be uniform but trousers need to be joggers or leggings so children can continue to go to the toilet independently. Please put your child's name on their bag. These can be left in Nursery on your child's peg.

Nursery Fund

In EYFS, we invite parents to make a £10 donation each term. These donations allow us to provide daily snacks for the children, as well as for ingredients to make playdough and buy art supplies for our creative areas. Thank you so much for this.

You can make your donation either through parent pay or by giving £10 cash to your child's teacher in a named envelope.

Autumn 2024

During this term, children will be learning to develop relationships with other children and adults in the setting. This is done by engaging with children in activities that they are interested in and choose independently. Through these interactions children's speech and language is supported and extended and back and forth conversations encouraged. 

Children will be learning the Nursery routine and how to be as independent as possible e.g. hanging up their coat when they come in and getting their own snack at the table. All areas of the Early Years Curriculum is taught through play, for example, counting how many blocks are in the towers that have been built and using mathematical language to describe size and shape. 

Pre-phonics is taught through learning rhymes, action songs and exploring musical instruments. We play listening games during our play, identifying sounds in the environment and creating different sounds using a variety of resources e.g. spoons and sticks tapped on different surfaces. 

 In The Moment Planning

The cycle of observation, assessment and planning at George Tomlinson is carried out on a moment-by-moment basis.  Each week, approximately 10% of the class will be focus children. 

Some interactions and activities that occur are recorded when the cycle is complete.  These records are on the learning journeys of the focus children and on “in the moment” planning sheets for activities in which a group become involved.  

We work this way because young children are experiencing and learning in the here and now, not storing up their questions until tomorrow or next week.  It is in that moment of curiosity, puzzlement, effort or interest—the “teachable moment” - that the skillful adult makes a difference. 

By using this cycle on a moment-to-moment basis, the adult will be always alert to individual children (observation), always thinking about what it tells us about the child’s thinking (assessment), and always ready to respond by using appropriate strategies at the right moment to support children’s well-being and learning (planning for the next moment). 

When your child is a focus child you will receive notification the week before.  We will give you a sheet to complete and ask you to take some pictures over the weekend.  The week after your child has been a focus child, the class teacher will meet with you to discuss your child’s learning.  This will replace the traditional parents’ evening. 

Nursery Library

Children have the opportunity to borrow books from our Nursery library to enjoy at home. They are encouraged to choose for themselves and talk about the book when they are returned. Our library days will be Tuesday and Friday. Books can be changed on either or both of these days. 

Spare Clothes

Please bring spare clothes in a bag for your child. These don't need to be uniform but trousers need to be joggers or leggings so children can continue to go to the toilet independently. Please put your child's name on their bag. These can be left in Nursery on your child's peg.

Nursery Fund

In EYFS, we invite parents to make a £10 donation each term. These donations allow us to provide daily snacks for the children, as well as for ingredients to make playdough and buy art supplies for our creative areas. Thank you so much for this.

You can make your donation either through parent pay or by giving £10 cash to your child's teacher in a named envelope.

Focus Children

When your child is a 'focus child' you will be given a form that asks if you have anything significant coming up or that has happened recently. Also any comments, questions or concerns you may have, You will also be asked to email some photographs that have been taken over the weekend or very recently for the children to share with the class. The children will then stick these into their special book and a teacher will scribe what they say about their picture. The children LOVE to do this! 

Equipment for children 

Your child needs to bring a water bottle everyday, this needs to have their name on it as there are often identical bottles. If your child is staying for lunch, they will need to bring a healthy packed lunch. Hot food can be brought in a thermos flask. Please note, we are a nut free school. 

Please put your child's name on all items of clothing, including shoes. Children take off their shoes to wear welly boots and we have shoes which are the same. Having their name inside helps the shoes go on the correct feet! Thank you. We have lots of water play during our day, therefore please bring a bag of spare clothes (this doesn't need to be uniform), this can stay at nursery.