Welcome to the Hoglets!
(Nursery)
(Part of the Hedgehog Class)
'The Nursery and Hedgehog staff are a happy, close-knit team who endeavour to make the children's transition into nursery and school an enjoyable and fun experience. We pride ourselves on the nurture we provide to the children in our care. Children learn best when they are content and feel secure. Settling the children into Arnside School life is our top priority when they start. Building solid relationships with the children and parents alike is the key foundation to starting our very special learning journey'.
Mrs Sharp - (EYFS Lead)
What is the Foundation Stage?
The Foundation Stage begins in Nursery (Hoglets) and continues through to Reception (Hedgehogs). We help the children to learn through playing, exploring and being active. This means children will take part in a range of fun, practical activities; some of which are adult led, some guided by adults and some will be child-initiated.
We follow the EYFS Framework and Reforms and through our creative curriculum, based on knowledge and skills. Our curriculum is flexible and is adapted weekly and partly in the moment. The plans set are a starting point to support new experiences. They are all expendable where possible, following the planning in the moment cycle, observe, plan, teach, outcome. Your child will receive the best possible early year’s education.
The Seven Areas of Learning
Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning:
Prime Areas
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language Development
- Physical Development
Specific Areas
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
What to expect in the EYFS
The Department for Education has published a new guide for parents, produced by Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre – ‘What to expect in the Early Years Foundation Stage’ (formerly ‘What to expect when’) which guides parents through what to expect in their child’s development. It aligns with the new Development Matters to help practitioners engage with parents about their child’s development. Please click on the link below to view this useful document.
What to expect in the EYFS: A parents Guide
Hoglet Sessions take place in with the Hedgehog Class
Morning Nursery: 8:50am - 11:50am Teacher: Mrs Sharp or Mrs Pearce & Teaching assistant: Mrs Thompson
Afternoon Nursery: 8:50am - 3:15pm Teacher: Mrs Sharp or Mrs Pearce & Teaching assistant Mrs Thompson
Mrs Renyolds on a Wednesday.
Afternoon sessions can only be used if your child is attending the morning session.
15-hour free entitlement can only be used in the morning sessions.
Hoglets are within the Hedgehog class throughout their duration of learning, making a fantastic EYFS unit in which to thrive, challenge and enjoy!
We can offer your child a place in the term following their 3rd Birthday for the 15 hours free entitlement and the 30 hours - where families are entitled. Please follow the link below for further information and to find out if you are eligible.
Otherwise, children are more than welcome to start the day after their 3rd birthday at a cost of £15 per session.
Applications for admission to Arnside National School Nursery will be prioritised using the criteria set out in our admissions policy.
Please contact the school office (Mrs Reid) for a Nursery brochure and application details on 01524 761159 or email admin@arnside.cumbria.sch.uk
Dropping off and collecting your child
When dropping off children at nursery please wait on the playground outside of infant classrooms. When the doors open your child will be invited in by their class teacher and they will be greeted in the Hedgehog Class by the teaching assistant. This is a good opportunity for parents/carers to inform the class teacher of any messages. If your child is being collected by someone other than you, we will write it down so that all staff are aware. If you are stuck in traffic or need to make a last-minute change to your collection arrangements, please call the school office on 01524 761159. If you haven’t told us of any changes, we will not let your child go home until we have spoken to you.
Pick up after the morning session at 11:55am is from outside the main school office and collection at 3:20pm is in the playground outside the infant classroom. 
A Day in Our Nursery
- We start each session with nursery rhymes or topic-based songs, whilst the children are coming in and doing their 'special jobs', ensuring they are organised for the day.
- We then say good morning, take the register and have a counting session to ensure the register is correct.
- We now do a short phonics session where the children learn to tune into sounds, rhyming, alliteration, etc.
- We discuss our activities for the day and the children choose. A group of children are asked to do a maths, literacy and topic-based activity during this time. All children will complete the activities during the week.
- At choosing time the children are able to access activities both inside and outside.
- At 10:15am the children have a snack and a drink of water or milk.
- After snack the nursery children get the opportunity to go into the main playground with the rest of school for morning break. A special time where the older children get great pleasure in organising and playing games with the younger children.
- After morning break the nursery children will then have a 10-minute focused carpet time on the current topic.
- Children will now go on to continue from the morning choosing time.
- We finish the session with a story and a rhyme or song and change our books ready for home.
- If your child is staying with us for the day, they now get prepared for their lunch.
- In the afternoon the nursery children continue with the older EYFS children in the Hedgehog class to continue their topic exploring, investigating and learning.
- Children make their own independent learning/play choices. We will provide ongoing experiences and activities, many of which will be related or linked to our topic, themes or book, for them to access throughout this time.
- At 2:15pm the children have a second healthy snack of the day provided by home before going outside for the last playtime with the whole school.
- From 2:45 - 3:20pm the children do a range of different activities from story to singing or reflection time.
- At 3:20pm the children are brought outside into the infant yard where they will be handed to their adult for collection. If your child is attending our after-school club (Arnies), they will be taken through by the teaching assistant.
- There is a lot of information here, which may or may not be new to you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Nursery Expectations
Uniform
School uniform is optional in nursery but if you wish your child to wear a uniform, please refer to the uniform page in the 'Parent' section of the school website for full details.
Lunch
The children who are attending all day will join all infants in the hall for their lunch. The children can bring a healthy packed lunch, or a hot meal can be ordered and paid for through the schools 'Lunch Shop' website. Please register with the school office to gain access to the booking portal.
Further Information:
Lunch Bags
If your child is staying for Lunch, we ask that you clearly label the outside of their lunch bag and water bottle.
Book Bags
These are an important part of school life as they help to bring home books, pictures and letters. Children will be provided with their first book bag, kindly donated by our PTA. If this gets lost of damaged a replacement is available to buy from the school office. We ask that all book bags are in school every day. Please check it daily for letters, pictures and information.
Snack Time
We have fruit daily in the morning and will encourage all children to try different fruits. In the afternoon nursery will also have time for a second snack, we kindly ask if parents could provide this and put it in their child's book bag each day. Please let us know about any food allergies. If your child has dietary requirements, we ask for you to provide a named box of treats to stay in nursery for those special times or topic related food tasting, ensuring that your child doesn't feel left out and has their own treat. Children also have milk or water. If your child requires milk this can be ordered through the Cool Milk website www.coolmilk.com. Milk is provided free of charge to children under the age of 5 but it is still necessary to register. We monitor who has had their drink and snack every day.
'WOW' Moments
We are really keen to know about any anything exciting or any achievements that occur for your child outside of school. They can share these with us and the class. We can provide a parent prompt sheet for you to add your child’s 'WOW' Moments onto or you can send them with a photograph via DoJo.
Toys
Please do not bring toys into the nursery as they can easily get lost or broken. The children may, on occasion, be asked to bring in a toy as part of a topic. Again, to avoid their toys getting lost or broken, they will be shared with the class but not played with during choosing time.
Topic
We will send home topic information via class DoJo or email, plus, ways on how to access further information links. For more detailed information on our EYFS curriculum please refer to the Curriculum planning section.
Dojo
You have a Class Dojo invite in your pack, please sign up! We use Class Dojo at school as a means of communication between school and parents. You can message us directly and we have a class news feed where you will be able to see all of the lovely activities that the children have been doing during their time in nursery. We also use Class Dojo to keep you up to date with events and meetings. Please download the app and sign up!
Request for absence
For children over the age of 5 the headteacher can no longer authorise absence for holidays in term time. It should be remembered that this is a government led directive. Children are required to attended school for 38 weeks each year, leaving 14 weeks to attend family holidays. Any requests for term time absence should be made to Mr Sharp in writing or email.
Illness
If your child is unwell and cannot attend nursery, please inform the office on: 01524 761159 or email: admin@arnside.cumbria.sch.uk. Please can this be before 9:00am on each day of your child's absence. if we are not aware of any reason of your child's absence, the school administration staff will telephone parents. This contact will ensure all children have arrived safely at school. Children must always remain absent from school for a full 48 hours after any illness that includes vomiting and/or diarrhoea.
We hope that this page has answered some of your questions but if you would like any further information – we will be very happy to help. Please call on: 01524 761159 or email: admin@arnsidecumbria.sch.uk