What We Do

Each day follows a familiar and reassuring structure, helping children feel secure and confident, a typical session includes:

  • Warm, supported arrival and settling-in time
  • Free play and adult-led learning activities
  • Snack time encouraging independence and social skills
  • Outdoor play and physical development
  • Small group activities, stories, and songs
  • Lunch time, on a large table with the teachers
  • Calm reflection and preparation for home time

This structured routine supports emotional wellbeing while allowing flexibility for exploration and creativity.


We maintain a simple daily routine that the children enjoy which involves a variety of activities such as; play, art, construction, role play, snack time, story time, singing etc.



For the Love of Books

Developing a love of books and reading is an important part of early learning at Newnham Nursery. Children are introduced to books from an early age and are encouraged to explore stories, pictures, and language in a relaxed and enjoyable way.


The nursery offers a daily lending library, giving children the opportunity to choose books to borrow and share at home with their families. This helps to build familiarity with books, supports early literacy skills, and encourages positive reading habits beyond the nursery setting.


Stories are woven naturally into the daily routine through group story time, small-group reading, and quiet moments for independent exploration. Children are supported to develop listening skills, vocabulary, imagination, and a growing understanding of narrative and print.


By creating positive, shared experiences around books, the nursery helps children develop confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong appreciation of reading, laying strong foundations for future learning and school readiness.

OUR DAY

As a guideline we ask parents to help us by following this simple routine.


Arrival Time : We ask parents to arrive in time for when the door opens at 9:00 am

Register : The daily morning register is called at 9:30 am

Clothes to wear : Children should wear suitable clothes to be comfortable in, to be able to play indoors and outdoors, and easy enough to go to the toilet unaided.

Fruit : In order to give a healthy snack to the children each morning, we would be grateful if you could provide your child with one piece of fruit each morning to share.

Saying Goodbye : We ask all parents to collect their child promptly at the designated pick up time and to be mind full that School is still in lessons


You are required to pick up your child promptly at the end of your session. Picking up your child late can cause distress for him / her. We do impose a late pick up charge (TBC) for those parents who are regularly late

STAYING IN TOUCH

Please ensure you inform us how you can be contacted during Nursery hours on the registration form if during the day your child becomes unwell and that we need to contact you.

The Nursery telephone number is 01223 311437.


If your child appears to be unwell, please do not bring her/him to Nursery. It is essential that your child is clear of any illness for 24 hours before returning. With a case of diarrhoea and / or vomiting, you need to leave 48 hours after the last time he/she has vomited or suffered with diarrhoea before sending him/her back to nursery.

CURRICULUM

The Newnham Nursery curriculum is based on ‘Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum’ by the ‘Department of Children, Schools and Families’.


Within the group, all the children are supported in learning at their own pace and our key person system enables the staff to ensure a planned curriculum tailored to the needs of each individual child. By means of developmentally appropriate play activities, we offer a curriculum that is challenging and enjoyable across all areas of learning and development which enables children to progress towards early learning goals In addition it highlights the footsteps along which each child progresses towards the ‘Early Learning Goals’.


When planning the term’s activities, the staff take into account the seven areas of children’s learning and development prescribed by the Department of Education, namely:

  • Communication and language.
  • Physical development.
  • Personal, social and emotional development.
  • Literacy
  • Mathematics.
  • Understanding the world.
  • Expressive arts and design