Welcome to our Nursery 2024-25

Norton in Hales CE Nursery is open to children aged from two years to four years old. The Nursery is expertly led by Mrs Buckley and her Assistant Teachers Mrs Mullinder and Mrs Bayley.

We understand that when deciding on a nursery for your child, there is a lot to consider. The step up to nursery can be a nerve-wracking time as well an exciting one, and it is vital that in partnership with parents that we get this right.

The truth is that every child is so unique.

Our Location

Norton-in-Hales is a picturesque village located in North Shropshire some 4 miles North East of Market Drayton. Archives show that our school was founded in 1630, and the newer Victorian school building, is situated in the beautiful rural setting of Norton in Hales village. Our school has access to the village tennis grass courts, a cricket pitch and crown green bowling lawn. We also have two Forest School sites that the school have kindly been access to throughout the year. We are extremely proud of our status as a Church of England Primary School and of our links with the Diocese of Lichfield and local Church St. Chad’s which dates back to the 12th Century.The village has won the Heart of England in Bloom competition in the village category several times and gone on to win at the national RHS Britain in Bloom level three times, culminating in being declared The RHS Britain in Bloom Champion of Champions in 2015 and in more recent years.

What to expect

Before your child is due to start, we will invite you and your child to visit us twice: once during the previous term, and then on the day before the first day of nursery. You will meet the teachers, participate in some activities, and get a feel for our school. You will be able to discuss any worries you may have and see how things work. On the first day of term, you are welcome to stay for a short while, and we will be in touch by telephone during that day to keep you informed as to how your child is doing. All the teachers will be aware of your child and be ready to engage and cherish them. These first few days can be an anxious time for parents, but, with encouragement and care, our children settle well. As with their learning, the settling arrangements for each child will be different and we tailor the process accordingly.

One of the principal features of our ‘settling-in’ plan involves your child having their own ‘Key Worker’ this approach is based on attachment theory. During this time the ‘Key Worker’ will work closely with you are your child. All of our Nursery children have their own daily diary which is passed on to everyone who looks after your child.

Our approach

The children follow the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The EYFS curriculum is split into seven key areas of learning which are:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design.

The EYFS curriculum also has three ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’ which are to promote, critical thinking, active learning and playing and exploring. The seven stages of learning are complemented by a range of peripatetic lessons. These include Music, Art and Design and movement. Our Nursery children also have weekly Forest School lessons with our own Forest School Leader.  These programmes help the children prepare to make the transition into primary education by enabling them to experience a full day at school.

Our Nursery draws inspiration form a range of established pedagogies including Reggio Emilia which is taught alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. Our staff have high expectations for the learning and development. Teaching is of consistently high quality and responsive to the children’s needs.

Read Write Inc. Phonics for Nursery is for children in their last term of Nursery. It supports pre-school children’s literacy progress, including developing their language through story times and teaching phonics. It provides nursery teachers and other staff with the tools they need to ensure every child learns to read confidently, right from the start.

The programme is published by Oxford University Press and includes:

• daily phonic lessons
• matched sound-blending books for school and home
• spelling and handwriting activities
• comprehensive planning.  

Every day, children learn new sounds, and review previous sounds and words. 

The speed at which children read the sounds makes the biggest difference to their reading of words. Once they can blend, they read words containing the sounds they know in matched sound-blending books.