Nursery Sessions

Home Corner

Children can start at nursery when they reach two years six months, space permitting, and usually attend two afternoon sessions per week, with older children being offered an extra session if available. When children start afternoons there are usually only 12 – 16 children and we try to limit the number of children attending afternoons sessions to about 20 maximum.

When your child starts at the nursery, it may be the first time he/she is expected to leave the family unit, so we make every effort to make this as easy as possible for you and your child. We ask a parent to stay for at least the first session, and you are welcome to stay at further sessions until your child is ready for you to leave (and you are happy to go). You are also very welcome to visit us together before starting. During these early sessions play is informal and the children are encouraged to experience as many different learning activities as they wish.

When your child starts at the nursery, he/she will be allocated a team member (keyworker) who has a special responsibility for that child. The keyworker will keep an ongoing record of the child's achievements and maintain regular contact with parents throughout his/her time at the nursery.

At each afternoon session there is a maximum of 20 children and each morning session a maximum of 26 children, with four staff members. Parents are very welcome to help at nursery sessions and you are welcome to put your name on the rota on the parent's noticeboard. However, Ofted expects all helpers to be CRB checked, as are all staff. If you would like to volunteer to help at nursery sessions, we will provide you with the necessary form for you to process and ask you to provide us with a copy of your CRB form when you have received it. If you have already had a CRB check done during the last 3 years, then you will not need to be checked again but please could you provide us with a copy for our records.

Outside Covered Area

Parental involvement has always played a large part in the nursery. At some sessions we have students or other voluntary helpers. You are your children's main educators, and we provide a caring environment with appropriate play opportunities and social contact in which your child will learn.

Parents are able to come along to the nursery sessions and are able to see how their children, and other children, are developing, what activities particularly interest them, and who they play with. Parents can see what care we are able to provide and ask questions. They may also wish to take ideas home.

Rules within the nursery are fairly basic, the general rules being that of safety - which may be quite different from those at home. Apart from these, rules tend to be social rules. We try to make the children understand that their behaviour affects others, some behaviour is socially acceptable, some is not. Much of the children's learning at nursery is social learning.