A Day in the Life at Nursery

Our Nursery is led by a qualified teacher, supported by a Nursery Nurse and a Teaching Assistant. Each session accommodates up to 26 children, ensuring a warm, nurturing, and engaging environment for all.

We offer both 15-hour and 30-hour fully funded sessions, with flexible attendance options to suit your family's needs.

Session Times:

• Morning Session: 8:30am – 11:30am
• Afternoon Session: 12:30pm – 3:30pm
• Full Day Session: 8:30am – 3:30pm
  (Includes a paid additional hour over the 30 funded hours. Option to collect at 2:30pm if you prefer not to pay for the extra hour.)

What Does a Nursery Day Look Like?

Our daily routine is a balance of child-initiated play and adult-led group activities, tailored to spark curiosity, develop key skills, and support each child’s individual learning journey.

• Child-Initiated Play:
  Children choose their own play areas, with adults interacting, guiding, and extending their learning through meaningful play.
• Adult-Led Group Times:
  Each session includes 2–3 group activities which may include:
  
  • Story time to introduce our themes and topics
  • Phonics and number groups
  • Singing and music
  • Dough Disco for fine motor development
  • Circle time for discussion and social skills

Enriched Learning Experiences

Being part of the school site gives us access to fantastic facilities that enhance the Nursery experience:

• Weekly hall sessions for physical development, where children:
  • Play circle games
  • Use gym equipment and apparatus
  • Develop ball skills and movement
• Weekly visits to the school library
  Children borrow a book each week to enjoy at home and nurture a love of reading.
• Large outdoor space
  Access to the playground for riding bikes, scooters, and developing ball and gross motor skills.

Outdoor Learning – A Core Part of Our Ethos

At Earley St Peter’s Nursery, we are passionate about outdoor learning. We believe that the natural world offers endless opportunities for children to explore, discover, and grow. That’s why one full day each week is dedicated entirely to outdoor exploration.

Most of our outdoor days take place in the Nursery garden, but we also venture into the local environment to extend learning beyond the classroom.

Our Outdoor Activities Include:

• Observing and exploring nature — including seasonal walks to the park to notice changes in the world around us
• Building with large-scale materials to develop teamwork and problem-solving skills
• Using real tools safely to foster independence and confidence
• Cooking over an open fire, learning basic outdoor skills in a safe, supervised setting
• Engaging in imaginative and physical play in a natural setting
• Helping to care for our Nursery chickens, building responsibility and empathy
• Bringing stories to life by acting them out in the outdoor environment, sparking creativity and a love for storytelling
  These meaningful outdoor experiences encourage resilience, creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong connection with nature.

These meaningful outdoor experiences encourage resilience, creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong connection with nature.

Please find the document below to view our welcome booklet.