Whitehill Primary School

Hello and welcome to our Nursery page. Throughout the year we will update this page to reflect the steps our class take in their learning, to celebrate their successes and to support you with school life and home learning.

Please find our 'Welcome Leaflet' below for further information on our school policies, our curriculum and ClassDojo.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school or send a member of staff a message on ClassDojo.

Many thanks,

The Nursery Team

 The Nursery Team

Class Teacher (Mon, Tues, Wed)

Miss Griffiths

Cover Supervisor

Miss Stanton

Apprentice Teaching Assistant

Mr Rylan

 EYFS Lead & SENCO - Miss Milnes 

 The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

At our school, our ethos is “Together we shine Academically, Personally and Socially.” Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the foundations for this journey, helping every child to grow in confidence and develop a love of learning.

We follow the EYFS Statutory Framework, which sets out the standards for children’s learning, development and care from birth to the end of Reception.

The seven areas of learning

Our curriculum is built around the seven areas of learning and development:

Prime areas

• Communication and Language – listening, understanding, speaking and developing vocabulary.
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development – building relationships, confidence, self-regulation and independence.
• Physical Development – developing movement, coordination, health and self-care.

Specific areas

• Literacy – developing a love of books, phonics, reading and writing.
• Mathematics – developing understanding of number, patterns, shape, space and measure.
• Understanding the World – exploring people, communities, nature and the world around us.
• Expressive Arts and Design – developing creativity through art, music, movement, role play and imagination.

These areas are interconnected, enabling children to develop knowledge, skills and understanding through rich and meaningful experiences.

Continuous Provision – Leading Our Own Learning

We provide a carefully planned balance of adult-led teaching and child-led play.

Through adult-led inputs, we explicitly teach important knowledge, vocabulary and skills, including phonics, stories and mathematical concepts. We carefully develop purposeful continuous provision that reflects our current learning, our chosen texts, children's interests and their developing skills. Our learning environments are thoughtfully planned to provide children with opportunities to explore, investigate, practise and apply their learning independently. Resources and experiences are carefully selected and adapted to meet children's current needs, while providing the right level of challenge.

Children are encouraged to lead their own learning, make choices, follow their interests and develop their ideas through play. Adults observe closely and use these opportunities to support, extend and challenge children's thinking.

Through our continuous provision, children develop important skills such as independence, problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and perseverance.

We want our children to become confident learners who are excited to explore, willing to have a go and proud of what they can achieve.

Together, we shine through curiosity, independence and purposeful play.

The role of the adult

Our adults play an active role in children's learning. They observe, listen and interact thoughtfully, knowing when to comment, model, question, introduce new vocabulary, demonstrate a skill or provide an appropriate challenge. This helps children to deepen their understanding while developing independence and confidence.

Developing effective learners

Throughout the EYFS, we nurture the Characteristics of Effective Learning:

• Playing and Exploring – being curious, exploring and having a go.
• Active Learning – concentrating, persevering and taking pride in achievement.
• Creating and Thinking Critically – developing ideas, making connections, solving problems and thinking creatively.

These characteristics help children develop the curiosity, resilience and positive attitudes that underpin successful learning.

Development Matters

We use Development Matters to support our understanding of children's development and to help us plan an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum. We do not use it as a checklist. Instead, our skilled practitioners use their professional knowledge to understand each child's strengths, interests and next steps, adapting learning to provide the right support and challenge.

Our EYFS is a place where children are encouraged to learn, explore, create, communicate and connect with others. We celebrate each child's individuality and achievements, while helping them develop the foundations for lifelong learning.

Through our nurturing environment, strong relationships and ambitious curriculum, we aim to ensure that every child can shine academically, personally and socially — together.

ClassDojo – Connecting School and Home

At our school, we use ClassDojo to strengthen the connection between school and home and to celebrate children's learning, achievements and positive contributions.

ClassDojo is a digital platform that allows us to celebrate success, share learning and communicate with families. Children can earn points for demonstrating our school values, positive behaviours, effort, kindness, resilience and achievements. These points help us recognise and celebrate the many ways in which children contribute to our school community.

We also use ClassDojo to:

• Share learning activities so families can see and celebrate what children are learning.
• Celebrate achievements and successes, both big and small.
• Share class updates and keep parents informed about what is happening in school.
• Communicate with parents and carers, helping to build strong partnerships between home and school.
• Create a personal learning journey for each child, capturing moments, achievements and experiences throughout the year.

We believe that learning is most successful when school and home work together. ClassDojo gives families a window into their child's school experience and provides opportunities to celebrate their progress with them.

Through sharing achievements, recognising effort and celebrating individual successes, ClassDojo supports our ethos:

Together we shine academically, personally and socially.

Forest School – Learning Outdoors

Our Forest School session takes place every Tuesday morning, giving children the opportunity to learn, explore and discover in the great outdoors.

We believe that being outdoors provides wonderful opportunities for children to develop curiosity, confidence, resilience and independence. Our children explore our natural environment, discovering trees, plants, little creatures and our pond, while learning to care for and respect the world around them.

Children have opportunities to explore our fire circle, take part in activities in our Forest School cabin, and develop practical skills such as learning to use tools safely and responsibly.

Forest School encourages children to take risks, solve problems, work together and persevere, while experiencing the joy and wonder of the natural world.

Above all, we want our children to develop a lifelong love of being outdoors and the confidence to explore, investigate and learn from the world around them.

Together, we shine through adventure, discovery and a love of the outdoors.

Click on the link below for an overview of our learning. 

  Nursery Forest School

Physical Education (PE)

Our PE session takes place every Wednesday afternoon. Children do not need to bring a PE kit to school.

Our Early Years PE programme focuses on developing fundamental movement skills and gross motor development through fun, active and engaging experiences.

Sessions include outdoor games, parachute games and activities that encourage children to move, cooperate and work together. Alongside developing physical skills such as balance, coordination, agility and spatial awareness, we use PE to build a strong sense of community, teamwork and belonging.

Children are encouraged to participate, have a go, support one another and celebrate each other's achievements, developing confidence, resilience and a positive attitude towards being active.

Literacy

We are passionate about reading and believe that developing a love of books from the earliest age gives children a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

We immerse our children in a wealth of rich and varied experiences with books, stories and language. Through shared reading, storytelling, role play, poetry, songs and conversations, children develop their vocabulary, imagination, comprehension and confidence as communicators.

We want children to see themselves as readers, storytellers and creators. We provide opportunities for children to revisit favourite stories, retell and act out familiar narratives, explore characters and settings, and use their imagination to create their own ideas and stories.

We also use Drawing Club, an engaging approach that brings together stories, drawing, vocabulary, imagination and early writing. Children are inspired by wonderful texts and characters and encouraged to develop their own ideas, communicate their thinking and create through drawing and mark-making.

Our aim is for every child to leave the Early Years with a genuine love of books, stories and reading, alongside the communication, language and early literacy skills they need to thrive.

Mathematics – Building a Strong Foundation

In Nursery, we use White Rose Maths to support our mathematics curriculum and help children develop a strong foundation in early mathematical understanding.

We want children to see mathematics as fun, meaningful and part of everyday life. Through practical experiences, songs, stories, games, exploration and play, children develop their understanding of number, counting, patterns, shape, space and measure.

Our learning is hands-on and encourages children to notice, explore, talk about and investigate mathematical ideas. Adults use children's interests and everyday experiences to introduce mathematical language and help them make connections.

We provide plenty of opportunities for children to develop their number sense, problem-solving skills and mathematical vocabulary, while building confidence and enjoyment in mathematics.

We believe that positive early experiences with mathematics help children to become confident and curious mathematicians, ready to build on their learning throughout their school journey.

Click on the link below for an overview of our learning. 

 White Rose Maths Yearly Overview