Welcome to our Nursery!

We hope you find the following information useful. Please contact the school if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Before my child starts Nursery - 'To Do List'

We hope this 'To Do' list is helpful in preparing everything you need for your child starting Nursery.

• Remember to order school jumpers or cardigans
• Put the dates of your home visits and stay-and-play sessions in your diary
• Complete the forms in your Nursery starter pack and either return to the school office, or hand back to the Nursery lead on your home visit
• Buy (and name) a water bottle for your child to keep at Nursery
• Buy joggers, leggings, trousers or skirt with socks and / or tights (black or navy)
• Purchase shoes / trainers (preferably with a velcro strap)
• Find some wellies (that fit) to keep at Nursery for wet days
• Name (and double-name!) all uniform including shoes and wellies
• Check out the Nursery webpage at www.farnboroughgrange.hants.sch.uk
• Join our Facebook page 'Farnborough Grange News & Updates
• Share some Summer learning activities with your child 

At Nursery we get messy, very messy!  

There is a lot of research to show the importance of messy and sensory play for children's development.  As adults we sometimes find it harder to accept things getting messy, like a nice, new Nursery uniform.  At Farnborough Grange Nursery we are quite the opposite.  We positively love making mess and all of the benefits that it brings to children's learning.  Messy play focuses on children exploring and experimenting.  It often has no end goal, but allows children to use all of their senses and go wherever their imagination or creativity will take them.  

Playing in a Mud Kitchen or sharing an easel can be a very sociable activity, although doesn't have to rely on the use of language.  Even through gesture, or playing alongside one another, children can share in each others' discoveries.  By engaging in messy or sensory play, children can experience new textures or sensations, explore the use of different tools, take risks, learn new words to describe their play or even build their confidence to try new things.  There are a whole host of reasons for us to embrace messy and sensory play in the Nursery and why we will never be precious about children's uniforms.  So, if you still can't get out that grass stain no matter how many times the jumper has been washed, please don't worry, it means that your child has been learning.  

The Characteristics of Effective Learning

At Farnborough Grange Nursery we prioritise children's well-being over all else.  If children do not feel safe, secure and happy, it will be difficult for them to become engaged with the learning on offer.  There are a number of things that we provide to help children feel settled.  These include skilful and supportive Key Workers, exciting indoor and outdoor learning spaces, resources that are easily accessible, consistent boundaries/routines and long periods of Discovery Time that give children autonomy over their learning.  It is critical that these things are in place for children to become deeply engaged, demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning and make the best progress.  The three characteristics are:  

Playing & Exploring

(children investigate & explore things and are willing to have go)

Active Learning

(children concentrate, keep on trying when they encounter difficulties & enjoy their achievements)

Creating & Thinking Critically

(children have ideas, make links & develop their own ways of doing things)

Development Matters defines them as 'the way in which the child engages with other people and their environment...and underpin learning and development across all areas.'  Our planing and teaching places great emphasis on the characteristics and we closely monitor how children engage with their environment as part of our ongoing assessment.  At parent/carer consultations we report on the characteristics.  We make regular observations of them in our interactions with the children.  Parents' and carers' view of their child's characteristics are sought at home visits.  When thinking about children's engagement, the Characteristics of Effective Learning are particularly important. In nurturing the three characteristics, we pledge to the children that: 
 

Starting Nursery - Frequently Asked Questions

Please find below, answers to some of the commonly asked questions when children start at Farnborough Grange Nursery.  We hope that you find them helpful, but if you have any further questions, please do get in touch.  

Nursery Collection Permissions Letter

This form allows you to provide details of other adults, other than yourself, who are permitted to collect your child from Nursery.  If you are able to provide three contacts, this can be particularly helpful in the unlikely event of an emergency situation.  Please note that, in order to safeguard your child, the Nursery will not release them to anyone but the contacts listed, unless your express permission has been sought first.

30-Hour Code

Working parents who fulfil certain Government-advised criteria may be eligible to receive 30 hours of funded childcare. Please see this link for further information https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare . For parents already in receipt of a 30-hour code, please remember to update your details every 3 months. Unfortunately, children cannot attend for 30-hours unless the Nursery is in receipt of a valid code.