Early Years
Nursery
Whitburn Village Primary School now offers flexible Nursery provision that works around you and your busy lives. We can offer your child the opportunity to come to our Nursery for, AM Sessions (Monday-Friday) or Full Time Weeks (Monday-Friday 30-hour provision) during term time.
On top of those flexible hours we can offer you a fully inclusive Nursery unit with an excellent team of staff that are part of our Primary School offering education and a whole lot more until your child leaves us in Year 6. The Nursery unit consists of a wonderfully resourced indoor and outdoor environment that will challenge and motivate your child. A range of activities will be provided that will stimulate and develop your child’s inquisitiveness for learning. You will be involved every step of the way and will be kept up to date with information and learning opportunities for you and your child. At Whitburn Village Primary, we work with you so that your child receives the best possible start in their learning journey.
For more info, please email us info@whitburnvillage.s-tyneside.sch.uk We look forward to hearing from you.
Please visit our admissions page for information on nursery and reception admissions. CLICK HERE!
Why we do it!
At Whitburn Village Primary School our aim is to provide the best possible start in life that enables all children to fulfil their potential. We understand the importance of early learning and development and recognise the crucial role that early year’s education must play in providing firm foundations upon which the rest of a child’s education is successfully based.
We believe all children should have the opportunity to develop physically, verbally, cognitively and emotionally in an enabling and inclusive environment. We aim for our children to be confident, independent, successful learners who believe in themselves and interact positively with others.
We offer a curriculum which is aspirational and rich in wonder and memorable experiences. We strive to provide a stimulating environment which promotes exciting opportunities, challenge, exploration, adventure and a real love of learning. We understand that play is an integral part of learning and this is at the heart of our early years curriculum. We believe that the correct mix of adult directed, and child-initiated play ensures the best outcomes for pupils.
Warm and positive relationships between staff and children, consistent routines and strong relationships with parents are key.
It is our intent that all children will receive the teaching of early mathematics and early reading to acquire sufficient knowledge and skills that will enable them to continue their learning journey into the primary curriculum.
What it looks like!
At Whitburn Village Primary School, our early years practice is underpinned by the four guiding principles set out in the Early Years Framework (DfE, 2020). These are:
- Unique Child – Every child is unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
- Positive Relationships – Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
- Enabling Environments – Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and carers.
- Learning and Development – Children develop and learn in different ways. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early year’s provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Our Early Years Curriculum encompasses the seven areas of development set out in Development Matters (DfE, 2021): personal, social and emotional development, communication and language, physical development, literacy, maths, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. It is taught through topics which are enriched through real life experiences and enabled through trips and visitors. Topics are supported by quality key texts and artefacts which are chosen carefully to encourage children's speech, language and communication development. The curriculum remains flexible to enable us to respond to children’s interests and needs and ensure it remains stimulating to our cohorts of children.
We prioritise creating a ‘language rich’ environment using songs, nursery rhymes, stories and providing time for quality interactions between adults and between peers. Trained staff ensure that interactions are positive and timely allowing children to flourish and gather words at pace in order to become confident communicators. Children are encouraged to become early readers through enjoyment of books and the systematic teaching of phonics. The children learn nursery rhymes and develop their mathematical thinking through direct teaching and exploration. We want our children to become confident mathematicians who can apply what they have learnt to real life experiences.
Our school environment has been developed to provide the opportunity to learn both indoors and outdoors. Children’s knowledge and skills are developed through a wide range of practical and sensory experiences in our mud kitchen, water exploration, climbing and natural areas. The children are supported to learn to work together, manage their feelings and ask questions through skilled adult facilitated play. In early years our environment, routines and interactions are planned for and intentional.
As part of the teaching and learning process, children are assessed in relation to their progress towards Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals. These judgements are made based on accumulative observations and in-depth knowledge of the children acquired through ongoing assessment. These ongoing assessments are used to inform planning and next steps in teaching and learning for all children throughout the year.
Strong partnerships with parents and carers are created through our open-door policy where staff listen carefully to the development and home experiences of the child. Parents receive regular curriculum information through our school website, newsletters and social media. A range of workshops are delivered throughout the year to help parents support their child’s learning and development both academically and socially. Home/school diaries, social media and the home/school engagement app ‘Tapestry’ is used to provide weekly updates to parents on their child’s attainment and progress.
At Whitburn Village Primary School we meet the welfare requirements laid down in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and actively safeguard and promote the welfare of all our children.
How it helps!
Our curriculum and its delivery ensure that children develop the characteristics of effective learning: playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically. These learning behaviours are embedded across daily practice and enable children to become curious, confident learners who are willing to take risks, draw on their experiences, reflect on their learning, and persevere with resilience and determination. As a result, children are well prepared to successfully continue their learning journey into Year 1.
Children make strong progress from their individual starting points across the seven areas of learning and development. Particular emphasis is placed on communication and language, early reading, and early mathematics. This ensures children develop secure early literacy and numeracy skills, equipping them to be school ready and confident learners across the wider primary curriculum.
During their time with us, children develop the knowledge, skills, and learning behaviours needed to meet the national expectations for a Good Level of Development by the end of Reception. They leave the Early Years as motivated, independent learners with strong foundations in learning, positive attitudes to school, and the confidence to thrive as they move into Key Stage 1.