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 

Stay & Play Sessions - How to Support Your Child

Below are some hints and tips about how to support your child during their stay and play sessions before they join our Nursery in their 'usual' patterns. If you have any questions, the nursery staff will be on hand to help.  

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: 
 

Meet the Key Workers

Below is our team of dedicated Key Workers and the groups that they look after.  They are looking forward to meeting our new families in September and will be working hard to make sure that all of the children have a safe, happy and settled transition.  Home visits and stay-and-play sessions are a good opportunity for you to begin to get to know the Key Workers and a chance for them to start building a supportive relationship with the children.  In September, and going forward, Key Workers are your first port of call when providing information about the children, discussing learning and development, any medical conditions or medications and collection arrangements.  Please note that the Nursery Lead, Mr Mellish, will also be on hand at drop-off and collection to answer any questions that you might have. 

Key Worker Storytime - Miss Silver Reads...Dear Zoo

Miss Silver, the key person for Flamingo Group, is reading Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.  This is one of our favourite stories at Farnborough Grange Nursery.  Would you believe that it is nearly 40 years old?  Sometimes we like to tell the story together using lots of actions to help us.  Joining in with the repetitive language helps children to develop their communication skills, and waiting and watching for what actions to use helps build their listening and attention.  You could talk to the children about the different animals.  Where do they live?  What do they eat?  What do they look like?  For even more fun, you could learn a musical version of the story (see below).  

13/08/20 - ear Zoo by Rod Campbell - A Musical Version 

Using music and actions are a good way to support children in learning and recalling a story.  Please enjoy this musical version of the story shared by Miss Silver.  Can the children think of their own actions to help sing the song?  What sounds could they use for each animal?  Have fun!  

Key Worker Storytime - Miss Tigrine Reads...We're Going On a Bear Hunt

Our next exciting story is We're Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.  It is read by Miss Tigrine, the key person for Giraffe Group.  Please enjoy some quiet time, getting lost in the story together.  Can the children join in with some of the repetitive language?  What actions could they use to help them tell the story?    Where else could they go on their bear hunt?  

Key Worker Storytime - Miss Wheeler Reads...The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Today's story is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, read by Miss Wheeler, the key person for Meerkat Group.  Please share the story with your children and talk to them about it afterwards.  Who was the story about?  What happened?  Where did it happen?  Did they like the story?  Why?  Why not?

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.  

If you have not received your starter pack, or are missing any of the forms, please download and print them below.  

FGNIS Data Collection Form

This allows you to provide important information about your child, your family, any medical conditions, dietary requirements, special educational needs and much more.  Please complete and return to the school office or the Nursery staff during your home visit.  

GDPR - Privacy Notice to Parents/Carers

This document explains what personal information the school collects and holds and why/who it may be necessary to share information with.  Please give your permission by completing and returning the attached declaration.  

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.

Nursery Personal Care Permission Letter

Sometimes it may be necessary for Nursery staff to support your child with changing/toileting.  In hotter weather, it may also be necessary to help children re-apply suncream, particularly those who attend all day.  We require your signed permission in order to be able to help your child.  Please complete and return the attached form.  

Annual Consent Form for Specific Off-Site Learning

The purpose of this consent form is to enable parents/carers of children at the school to give their permission for their child to participate in frequent, local, curriculum focused visits and journeys away from the school during the school day.  

Useful Websites/Links

This document provides the necessary links for parents/carers to log in to Scopay online payments.  Please note that you will need to obtain a unique code from the school office in order to register.  It also provides links to our uniform supplier, My Clothing, and the Hampshire Medically Identified Special Diet Application Form should your child have food allergies and/or special dietary requirements.  

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.  

Starting Nursery - How to Help at Home

Please try some of these activities at home to help your children prepare for starting nursery.  

Ordering Nursery Jumpers & Cardigans

A nursery jumper or cardigan will be compulsory for all children attending nursery from September 2020.  We recommend sizing-up so that they last longer and can be worn over layers in colder weather.  Please use the link to our supplier, My Clothing, below.  Orders take between 11-14 days to arrive, so don't forget to order in plenty of time before our official start date on Monday 14th September.