We give our little ones the best possible start on their educational pathway, supporting our families as they travel through their time with us, ensuring a happy and productive journey for all. The small numbers that we care for means that every child receives outstanding individual attention and education from specific members of staff, responsible for their care.
Through excellent pastoral care, fun play and discovery activities, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage, we deliver progression for all our children. This ensures happiness and exploration that will increase skills and confidence as the children grow through the stages of development. Our team observes, evaluates, assesses and delivers well-planned, age-appropriate activities, thereby developing independence and building up self-esteem, in preparation for confident progression to the next level of learning and for big school ahead.
We plan the curriculum in line with the EYFS and look closely at the needs of the individual child. We support every child to progress successfully through the developmental stages; having a go, discovering, and thoroughly enjoying learning alongside their friends.
Dragonflies - 3 months to 2 years
Our little ones begin to learn and explore through play & fun daily activities. We cover different themes every month and help the children to progress through the Early years Foundation Stage Curriculum with a particular focus on sensory activities. Our children discover a range of stimulating experiences; mark making, messy play, role play, small world and construction play with lots of support from the staff team.
Each morning we have a circle time to say good morning to each other and the teachers, we enjoy singing and nursery rhymes as well as interactive games.
We then encourage a focus activity set out by their key worker, whilst a host of exciting activities are available for continuous provision. This is where sensorial play with a range of materials such as sand, corn flakes or shaving foam are used to explore texture, shape and movement.
Griffins - 2 years to 3 years
Our little ones begin to learn and explore through play & fun daily activities. We cover different themes every month and help the children to progress through the Early years Foundation Stage Curriculum with a particular focus on sensory activities. Our children discover a range of stimulating experiences; mark making, messy play, role play, small world and construction play with lots of support from the staff team.
We encourage our children to increase their ability to do things for themselves such as shoes, getting dressed and potty training.
Each morning we have a circle time to say good morning to each other and the teachers, we enjoy singing and nursery rhymes as well as interactive games. We then encourage a focus activity set out by their key worker, whilst a host of exciting activities are available for continuous provision. This is where sensorial play with a range of materials such as sand, corn flakes or shaving foam are used to find letters or numbers, to explore texture, shape and movement.
We have a range of small and large construction to support fine and gross motor skills and love all kinds of art and craft activities getting messy and being creative!
Stories and books are very important to us as we develop the early skills of listening to and understanding stories and we enjoy acting out our favourites!
Dragons - 3 years to 5 years
Our children are encouraged to become more independent both in their self-care and their approach to learning. They are given activities to consolidate and challenge their abilities. Following the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, we begin to prepare the children for the skills they will need at the start of ‘big school’, focussing on the prime and specific areas through carefully planned activities and ensuring next steps are set for each child.
We consistently support strong fine motor skills through early mark making, dough activities and water play; beginning to form and write their names correctly.
We explore shape, space and measure as well as a variety of number games and activities to promote 1:1 correspondence (accurate counting) and matching numerals to amounts and learning mathematical vocabulary.
All children are encouraged to help themselves as much as possible with self- dressing and being able to independently choose an activity.
We encourage independence through self-registration on arrival, placing their individual items on their own pegs, being able to do their own coats and shoes as well as being able to choose activities for themselves. We also support them to become independent in completing familiar activities and approaching new experiences.
Facilities
Duchess Nursery has been designed with little people in mind, with a variety of areas to explore, play and learn. Keep your eyes out for our Duchess dragon around the nursery. This stimulating environment incorporates:
- dedicated role play areas
- themed exploration areas
- messy play spaces; water, foam, dough and more
- climbing and play equipment
- outdoor play area
- sandpit
- outdoor platform reached by a ladder
- dedicated areas for each age group
- themed exploration areas
- messy play spaces; water, foam, dough and more
- literacy and numeracy investigation spaces
- climbing and play equipment
- outdoor play areas for each age group
- digging and growing beds
- sand play indoors and out
Independence
Our aim is to encourage independence across the children’s learning and their self-management. When they are ready, we want the children to make choices and decisions for themselves and will support them taking more control during their time at nursery.
From the minute children arrive, we encourage the children to help themselves as much as possible with self-dressing, starting with coats and shoes, as well as choosing the resources they would like to explore.