Welcome to Armfield Academy Nursery
'The Nest'
Staff
| Head of School: | Mr Kilmurray |
| EYFS Phase Leader: | Mrs J Shepherd |
| Nursery Teacher: | Mrs J Shepherd |
| Nursery Teaching Assistants: | Miss Lawless & Mrs Reid |
| Nursery Administrator: | Mrs D Hayward |
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) applies to children from birth to the end of their reception year. The Academy’s Early Years Foundation Stage accommodates children from the age of 3 to 5.
At Armfield Academy we have a 26 place Nursery with 26 sessional places (places are offered am/pm or full days) and comprise of the following:
- Mornings - 8.45am - 11.45am
- Afternoon - 12.15pm - 3.15pm
- Full days - 8.45am - 3.15pm
15/30 hour Government Child Care Grants are accepted and where additional/top up sessions are required are charged at £5.00. In addition to our core hours of 8.45am - 3.15pm, we can offer extended sessions before and after school. These places are limited and need to be booked in advance.
Our extended hours are charged at £3.00 for Breakfast Club and £8.00 for After School Club.
Nursery Sessions
|
Core Hours |
Extended Sessions |
|---|---|
|
Mornings: 8.45am - 11.45am |
Breakfast: 8.00am - 8.45am |
|
Afternoons: 12.15pm - 3.15pm |
After School: 3.15pm - 5.30pm |
|
Full Days: 8.45am - 3.15pm |
(term time only) |
Nursery Fees and Grant Information
Up to 15 hours – Every child is entitled to 15 free child care hours through the government 3 year-old grant scheme, or up to 30 hours, depending on eligibility.
If you are not eligible for the 30 hour government grant funding a charge of £5.00 per hour will apply. If your child attends Nursery for a full day there is an additional charge of £2.50 for lunch care and the option to choose from a school dinner (£1.65 per day) or a packed lunch from home.
Snack and Lunch
During the Nursery day the children will have a snack consisting of fresh fruit and or a bread product. They will also be offered a carton of milk through the free milk entitlement scheme. Please provide your child with a named water bottle. This is accessible to the children throughout the day. Please note we encourage water only to avoid sugary cordials or juice.
Children can either have a packed lunch or a school dinner, and we eat together in the Assembly Hall. Electronic payments for school dinners are available through ParentPay. If you would like to change from dinners to packed lunches and vice versa, please give one week’s notice.
Toothbrushing
In Nursery we take part in a daily supervised toothbrushing scheme. The children brush their teeth everyday after lunch. This personal hygiene habit supports the children’s understanding of the importance of keeping their teeth healthy and can prevent in some cases tooth decay. It is also part of the EYFS curriculum strand that supports the children’s personal development.
Nursery Uniform
Children are expected to wear the Armfield school uniform. This can be purchased at First Class Kids on Highfield Road, Blackpool. Please ensure that all uniform is named. The Nursery children take part in PE sessions and also spend a significant time outside in the Nursery garden and playground/field areas. At nursery we provide outdoor clothing consisting of waterproof trouser, jackets and wellies. These allow the children to explore the mud, water and other messy areas without worrying about getting their uniform dirty. We do encourage a spare change of clothing to be kept in nursery just in case of accidents.
Nursery Curriculum
The Nursery curriculum has been developed to ensure that children experience a varied and interesting environment for them to explore, grow and learn. Led often by the children’s interests the nursery is a hub of activity where the children are eager to try new learning experiences in a safe and happy environment. Personalised learning targets ensure that the setting meets the needs of all the pupils. Each half term we plan around an overarching theme that enables the children to build on their own personal experiences whilst providing new learning to take place. The curriculum takes into account each child’s individual stage of development and allows staff to plan for the next steps in their learning.
The Characteristics of Effective Learning and the Prime and Specific Areas of Learning and Development are all interconnected. Learning and Development is categorised into three prime areas of learning:
- Communication and Language: Listening, Attention, Understanding and Speaking
- Physical Development: Gross Motor Skills and Fine Motor Skills
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Self-Regulation, Managing Self and Building Relationships
Additionally, there are four specific areas of learning:
Literacy:
Comprehension - Word Reading - Writing
Mathematics:
Number - Numerical Patterns
Understanding the world:
Past and Present - People, Culture and Communities - The Natural World
Expressive arts and design:
Creating with Materials - Being Imaginative and Expressive
Home Links
We are available to speak to every morning and after school at the Nursery gate of you need to pass any information on to us. We communicate regularly through the class Dojo app where we will post reminders, and photos of what the children have been doing on a weekly basis. We also post individual posts on your child’s portfolio when we feel they have done some thing special. Regular parent evenings and workshops also take place throughout the year.
Settling In
We offer flexible settling in session for both parents/carers and the child. At the session you will be asked to complete a form telling us all about your child and their interests. This helps us to provide your child with familiar experiences and resources that enable them to settle quickly. For more information please ring 01253 207702.
Other important information
For information about the free childcare and tax free childcare schemes please CLICK HERE to visit the Childcare Choices website.
CLICK HERE to view our Parent Pages on how you can help at home.
Apply for a Nursery place
To download a request for a place form, please CLICK HERE.