A very warm welcome to St Andrew’s Nursery!
For parents interested in enrolling their child for September 2027, please visit the main school office. Children must be aged 3 by the 31st August 2027 to be eligible to start in the September.
Information for new Parents:
All the information you need for starting Nursery is here! Please scroll down to the bottom of this page for additional information.
We believe that our Nursery year is an important stepping stone before entering into school life. We aim to foster a love of learning, enquiry and questioning through a rich and varied curriculum.
Our nursery runs across two rooms: Bumblebees and Ladybirds.
All children are eligible for fifteen hours of funded early education per week (Universal Entitlement). Parents select a combination of five three-hour sessions across the week to make up the fifteen hours. You can pay for extra sessions, which will be charged at £21, per session. Please note that for admission from September we will only be accepting children into nursery for a minimum of 12 hours / four sessions per week. Please be aware, that if you use stretched funding hours at another setting, you may be charged for some sessions, if your allocation of funding reaches capacity. You should be able to check this on your Government childcare account.
Morning sessions are from 8.55am until 11.55am.
A whole day (counts as two sessions) runs from 8.55am until 2.55pm.
Children attending for a whole day are required to either bring a healthy packed lunch, or can order and pay for a hot school meal, which they eat at around 12pm in the Nursery.
Children who are eligible for 30 hours per week of funded early education can attend our nursery all week (Extended Entitlement). It is possible to share the 30 hours with another setting and attend our nursery for part of the week, and pay for extra sessions.
Information about eligibility for 30 hours' funding can be found at Childcare Choices and at Cambridgeshire Council.
Wrap around care can be organised through Willows Childcare, where they have spaces. Their club runs on our site.
Our Nursery is open the same days as the rest of the school. Please check the website of training days and holiday dates.
Our Nursery Team includes:
- Bumblebee Class: Mrs Dean
- Ladybird Class: Mrs Lancaster
Other adults working in the Nursery: Mrs Fuller, Ms Hobbs, Miss Peacock, Mrs Fox, Mrs Hones & Mrs Baker.
If you have any questions please contact office@san.graceschools.org.uk.
Remember, no question is too small!
The seven areas of learning in Nursery are:
Three Prime Areas:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
Four Specific Areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
If there are any queries or concerns, please feel free to make an appointment to talk with Mrs Dean or Mrs Lancaster.
Alternatively feel free to email office@san.graceschools.org.uk us with any questions or queries you may have.
Children can join the Nursery from the September after they turn 3.
Attending our Nursery does not guarantee a school place at St Andrew’s, this is decided at county level.
We use Class Dojo as a consistent communication platform with our parents, where you will find key dates, events and Thoughts for the Weekend associated with Nursery.
Things you can to do to support your child
Children at Nursery age are often full of wonder and are very eager to learn so it is an ideal time to get into the good habits of home learning. However, home learning must be age-appropriate and the last thing we would advocate is making a 3 or 4 year old sit down to do worksheets or other 'formal' forms of homework.
Prime Areas of Learning
In Nursery we focus on the prime areas of learning, Personal, Social and Emotional Education, Physical Development and Communication and Language.
You can support your child by helping them to become more independent in putting on coats and shoes, toileting, washing hands and taking turns and sharing when playing games.
Reading
In Nursery we encourage the children to borrow books for you to share and enjoy with your child at home. Books are available at the beginning of each session, in the outdoor area. You are welcome to change the book as often as you and your child would like. You will also be given the opportunity to sign up to borrow story sacks to share with your child during their time at nursery. Talk to your child about what is happening in the book. Talk about the pictures and the text and show them how to hold a book and handle it carefully. The children will have the opportunity to take home story sacks from the Spring term, we will send you more information nearer the time.
Mark Making
In Nursery we follow a gross motor to fine motor approach to mark making. We use 'Squiggle while you wiggle,' a fun dance movement approach which get our whole bodies and then hands and fingers ready for mark making and writing. You can support your child by encouraging them to experiment with marks at home: painting, drawing, mark making in flour, mud etc.
Maths
We spend lots of time singing number rhymes, understanding and explore the value of numbers as well as recognising numerals. Throughout Nursery, we use spatial awareness and problem solving in Maths daily. You can support your child by singing number songs, spotting numerals in the environment, getting them to help count out plates and knives and forks, doing jigsaw puzzles.
On thoughts for the weekend (found on your child's Class Dojo) you will find a suggested learning activity linked to each week's learning.
Here are some ideas for home-learning activities that you may wish to complete with your child. Don't forget to upload photos to Dojo so that we can share in your child's achievements!
- Playing 'I spy'
- Making homemade playdough or baking together
- Recognising your child's name or the initial letter of their name.
- Practise writing letters from their names in shaving foam, or glitter on a tray.
- Encourage any mark making, pens, pencils, chalk, paint etc
- Practise holding scissors and cutting (cut up cards/paper/the grass outside/playdough sausages)
- Enjoy books together, show your child how to handle books carefully, reading them together, turning the pages and talking about the pictures.
- Subitise up to 3 objects, notice groups of 1, 2 and 3, without counting.
- Do a number or shape hunt when you go out spotting numbers or shapes in the environment (on doors/shops)
- Plant beans or seeds and see how they grow
- SING!!!! Especially Nursery Rhymes but we also love pop songs, hymns, TV theme tunes and anything else that gets the children using their voices.
- Help your child to become more independent by encouraging them to get themselves dressed and undressed, putting on their own shoes, taking themselves to the toilet and using a knife and fork to eat.
