Harpur Hill Primary School & Nursery

Nursery

At Harpur Hill we aim to create a learning community where children:

are aspirational;
enquire about the world;

celebrate diversity

The school motto, Learning for Life, embodies the vision for our whole school community, and this begins with our youngest children in nursery.

The Curriculum:

In Nursery, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum using Development Matters as guidance. The EYFS has 7 areas of learning and development, which guide professionals’ engagement with your child’s play and activities as they learn new skills and knowledge in;

Communication and Language
Physical development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Art and Design

Link to the EYFS framework: Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Bear Cubs (age 2)

Our ‘Bear Cubs’ room is for children aged 2 and 3 years old. We offer high quality play-based provision including role-play, small world, sand, water, construction, reading, mark making, and free-flow outside play. Children can engage in a range of learning opportunities that are relevant and appropriate for their stage of development. Staff spend quality time getting to know the children and their families. We use our knowledge of the children and their interests to set up an engaging learning environment that sparks awe and wonder. Children are encouraged to choose their own play/ learning whilst at our settling. Staff are skilled in child development and have a clear understanding of how children learn, because of this they are equipped to help children progress and meet important milestones in their development.

Brilliant Bears

The children join our ‘Brilliant Bears’ room are aged 3-4 and in their pre-school year. During this important year children will begin to form special friendships with the children who will be in their year group/ class when begin school. Staff get to know the children by talking to them and playing with them. Staff allow children to take ownership of their learning and encourage independence. We offer exciting free-flow provision, where children can choose to engage in their play-based learning both indoors and out.

Little Wandle Phonics is taught daily through a range of child-led and adult-led experiences. Through the teaching of phonics our children develop an awareness of sounds and important listening and attention skills including oral blending. This prepares them for the Phase 2 phonics that is taught in Reception.

Alongside the teaching of phonics, we promote a love of reading within our daily ‘Love of Reading’ story sessions. We carefully select texts that excite children and enrich their language development. During these sessions we;

Provide multiple opportunities to read and engage with the text.
Teach and explore new vocabulary focussing on nouns and verbs.
Connect to the book through nursery rhymes, action songs, poems and songs that link to the text. This provides opportunities for children to develop a rich repertoire of rhymes and songs, which supports language development and enjoyment.

During the summer term, we do lots of visits to the main school and Reception classes to support the children with their transition in September.

P.E

The children in nursery have weekly PE lessons with a qualified sports coach. These take place in the main school hall, or on the field during the summer months. The children learn a range of skills that support their gross motor development.

Outdoor Learning

At Harpur Hill, we value the experiences and learning that take place in the outdoors. We encourage the children to explore nature and the environment, and we are incredibly lucky to have an on-site conservation area for the children to access regularly.

Session Times

Morning session: 9am until 12 noon
Lunch: 12 noon to 12.30 (only for children who are staying all day)
Afternoon session: 12.30pm until 3.30pm  Pricing from September 2023 is as follows:
Non funded and extra sessions for 2-year-olds: £21 per session (3 hours)
Extra sessions for 3–4-year-olds: £19.50 per session (3 hours)
Children who stay all day can either bring a packed lunch or pay for a school dinner, at a cost of £3.25 per day.
Lunchtime supervision (30 minutes) is an additional £3.00 per day (unless part of a funded all-day session, then no charge applies).

Please note: there will be a price increase from September 2025 as below:
Non funded and extra sessions for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds: £22.50 per session (3 hours)
Lunchtime supervision (30 minutes) is an additional £3.75 per day (unless part of a funded all-day session, then no charge applies)

Childcare Choices

Please see the government website www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for information on funding for childcare for 2-year-olds and the tax-free childcare scheme, which you can use to pay for the nursery sessions.

All 3+ year olds are entitled to at least 15 hours of free provision (known as ‘universal’) and some 3+ year olds will be entitled to up to 30 hours of (extended) provision.

Hungry Little Minds

Hungry Little Minds is a government campaign that has been designed to inspire and support parents to engage in their children’s play and learning (aged 0-5).

If you would like to make an impact on your child’s learning and future life experiences, please visit the Hungry Little Minds website for more information.

https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/

Before and After School Club

‘Playdays’ (who provide our Breakfast Club for all children) are able to provide Breakfast provision for nursery children 7.30am to 6pm. They provide breakfast, snacks and a range of activities. Please email enquiries@greenlanenurseryltd.co.uk for prices and further information. More information can be found on their website - https://www.greenlanenurseryltd.co.uk