A Day in Nursery & Kindergarten

8.45am Kindergarten starts

9.00am Nursery starts

 

Kindergarten opens at 8.45am and Nursery at 9.00am. However, if your child is attending for a school day or you are bringing an older child to school, you are welcome to bring them into Nursery at 8.45am. As it helps to stagger arrivals both in the classroom and in the surrounding roads, if you do not have older children in the school, please do leave your arrival until 9.00am.

 

Nursery children start the day with a free choice 'settling in' period, with games, drawing, puzzles, jigsaws  and table top activities.  Kindergarten start the day with a 'busy book' activity. These activities are followed by a whole class time where registers are taken and there is language and welcome 'circle time'. Activities are planned using six areas of the Learning and Development; these help us to observe and assess the children based on their individual development and needs. At the Kindergarten stage a small group activity will be carefully structured so that the children can work independently without direct teacher support.

 

Children will come together for a drink and a plain biscuit or a piece of fruit or a healthy snack which they have brought from home. It would be helpful to consult with the staff over the suitability of the snack due to certain allergies which may be present. There will be a half hour for outdoor time; Nursery and Kindergarten have staggered times to make the most of the outdoor space  and to use equipment eg bikes, balls etc. when the playground is empty of older children but there is always some overlap so the children can mix with older brothers and sisters. St.Mary's is a very family orientated school and we encourage the age groups to mix when appropriate.  

 

Project work continues after break with music, French or P.E. session built into the mornings.  In Nursery there is a balance of free choice, child initiated/adult initiated and adult directed activities. The session ends with a plenary session, which may be a story, showing work to one another or a library time.

 

12 noon              Morning Nursery ends

12.30 pm            Kindergarten morning ends

 

Lunch is a two course home cooked lunch which all Kindergarten and Nursery children take when attending for the school day.  It is available, at extra cost, to children leaving after the morning session and to children arriving for the afternoon, space permitting.

 

12.30pm Afternoon Nursery starts

2.00pm   Kindergarten afternoon starts

 

During the afternoon in Kindergarten there is more time for creative and craft activities, listening to reading, drama and role play, use of the computer.  Similarly in Nursery, the children staying for a full day will have these opportunities, too, they may also be extending their project work from the morning.

 

The Lower Nursery children start the session with free choice activities, then have an outdoor time followed by a circle time and a story.  Project activities follow in small groups and after a drink and a snack, the children may have an organised activity e.g. singing, outside games or music and movement.    The children gather together for a story at the end of the afternoon.

 

3.30pm The School Day ends