Greenfield Little School Nursery Handbook

Welcome to Greenfield Little School Nursery

Welcome to Greenfield Little School Nursery! We hope that you are excited to begin this journey with us and that your child or children are ready to take on the world of opportunities that will come their way as a Hoe Bridge pupil. To help you prepare for the transition to Hoe Bridge, we have compiled this handbook which contains everything you need to know ahead of your child's first day. Once you have joined the school you will also receive a weekly Bulletin covering items of news and events across the school. Our parent portal, My School Portal, provides you with instant information about upcoming events and general school information. Our staff are always on hand to answer any queries you may have so please don’t hesitate to ask. 

Best wishes

Julie Swords

Nursery Manager

Our Ethos & Aims

Happiness  -  Confidence  -  Achievement

Mission

To inspire in children a passion for lifelong learning, where an exceptional education, beyond factual learning, fosters unique life skills, creativity, knowledge and wellbeing.

Vision

A dynamic school community where everyone is encouraged to achieve their true potential through a broad, challenging and diverse curriculum. We enable and foster a passion for lifelong learning, whilst embracing and valuing individuality within the school community and wider society.

Rationale

To shape future citizens who have the academic, personal and social skills to make informed choices as well as being empathetic, resilient and responsible members of society fully embracing British values. A dedicated, caring and well qualified staff provide a varied curriculum, within and beyond the classroom, giving opportunities and challenging abilities to develop independent thinking young people. An engaging, broad, progressive education based on Christian principles and enriched with stimulating and varied opportunities to develop creativity, curiosity and innovation.

The Hoe Bridge Way

The Hoe Bridge Way is a set of behaviours that is embedded in school life. We aim to maintain and reinforce it at every opportunity, discussing and promoting it regularly in assembly, in class and on the sports field. 

Work Hard

• We work hard to be our best selves
• We keep trying, we never give up
• We keep questioning, we’re curious, we try new things
• We’re proud of our achievements and we celebrate the achievements of others

Listen

• We listen to the views of others and respect their thoughts
• We wait our turn without interrupting

Look After Property

• We respect everyone’s belongings and our own
• We look after our world in school and beyond

Share

• We share friends, ideas, books and toys
• We are generous to others through our charity giving, locally and beyond
• We share our time and our world

Say Sorry & Move On

• We are accepting of other’s mistakes and forgive
• We are hopeful that if we go wrong we will be forgiven

Kind & Helpful

• We think of others and their needs before our own
• We are willing to help without being asked and for no reward
• We celebrate good manners

Gentle

• We are gentle in our words and actions
• We are modest
• We respect other people’s space

Honest

• We always tell the truth
• We own up even when it is hard to do so
• We trust each other

Code of Conduct

On joining Hoe Bridge School, a child, teacher or parent becomes part of our school community. Each member of the school has a role to play within it and responsibilities towards others and their property. All members of the school community are expected to respect the Code of Conduct and it is to be followed at all times whilst anywhere on the school premises. Children are rewarded for doing so. Outside of school children wear their school uniform with pride and, as ambassadors of the school, behave according to our Code of Conduct. We believe that everyone, child or adult, should be able to come to our school and receive or deliver an education in a way that is free from humiliation, oppression or abuse. The school does not use corporal punishment. The Headmaster has the right of the ultimate sanction of temporary or permanent exclusion.

Our school Code of Conduct is discussed in class and assembly. Children, parents and staff can contribute to it at any time; we are always looking for ways to keep our school a happy and purposeful place for everyone.

On arrival and departure we:

• acknowledge each other with ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon’. Pre-Prep boys raise their caps and girls shake hands with the teacher on leaving the school
• walk on the paths and keep off the play equipment
• walk quietly with an adult until safely in the car
• keep brothers, sisters and other children close by, making sure they also follow our school rules
• do not use mobile phones

In school we

• walk at all times and keep to one side of the stairs
• hold open doors for others and walk through individually
• keep corridors and toilets clean and tidy by picking up after ourselves and, if necessary, others
• wait quietly in the Hall at the beginning and end of assembly
• file in and out of the Hall quietly
• keep communal rooms tidy
• help make and look after displays of work and objects of interest
• knock before entering a room and close the door behind us
• welcome visitors who must report to the office and are given a Visitor’s Pass

At lunchtimes we

• wash our hands before entering the Hall
• wait quietly to be served
• help to serve out the food
• use a knife and fork, helping younger children
• say grace at lunch time
• listen for the bell and keep silent after it rings
• ask permission to clear away
• help clear the tables after lunch

At playtime we

• wait outside quietly when an adult is on duty
• take turns with all classes for the play equipment
• share the toys with others and use them appropriately
• look after the toys by putting them away when we are finished
• keep hands, feet and objects to ourselves
• tell an adult on duty if someone is unkind or hurtful to us or to someone else
• tell the Friendship Champion when we have no-one to play with
• tell the First Aider when we are hurt or have had an accident
• listen for the bell and stand in silence after it has rung
• obey the rules of where to play
• Line up in silence after the bell has gone

In the classrooms we

• obey the rules of the room
• tidy up after lessons, putting away books and equipment
• show respect to others working by moving carefully round the room
• help give out books, equipment, milk and snacks
• do not interrupt but wait until a teacher, child or assistant is free

Key Contact Information

Nursery Manager | Julie Swords 01483 772525 | jswords@greenfield.surrey.sch.uk

Head of Pre-Prep | Amanda Willis 01483 772194 | headpreprep@hoebridgeschool.co.uk

Pre-Prep School Secretary | Lucy Smethers 01483 772194 | pre-prep@hoebridgeschool.co.uk

Executive Headmaster | Chris Webster 01483 760018 | headmaster@hoebridgeschool.co.uk

Executive Headmaster’s PA | Vicky Sturgess 01483 760018/65 | headspa@hoebridgeschool.co.uk

Bursar | Hannah Davies 01483 760018 | bursar@hoebridgeschool.co.uk

Chair of Governors | Ian Katté 01483 760065 

Staff Booklet

New booklet coming soon.

The Early Years 

Early Years Curriculum is introduced through play and practical activities covering the below areas of learning:

Prime Areas

• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

 Specific Areas 

• Mathematics
• Literacy
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Our Schemes of Work

These are carefully planned to cover the Foundation Stage in Nursery and to prepare for Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum as a minimum requirement. Within this planning there is the facility to fully challenge the able child whilst those requiring more support will be given time with a teacher trained in special needs. Detailed information on the work planned for each year, the materials and teaching techniques used will be explained and demonstrated at the Information Evenings at the beginning of each academic year. A termly programme of work and timetable is available on My School Portal. Continuous progression is ensured by regular monitoring using our online Learning Journeys through Tapestry which is shared with parents, Progress Books and the EYFS profile. Parents may discuss their child’s progress and have access to these developmental records at any time, as well as parents’ evenings held each term.

Homework

Our children have a long school day during which they have been extremely active in both work and play. It is important that when they get home there is the opportunity to relax and enjoy family activities. Children will then be fresher to tackle a new school day. Homework is therefore kept to a minimum. The rhymes and actions for the Little Wandle scheme are sent home for practice and once a child has made a start with reading then some practice with this will be sent home too. This may be in the form of learning words or re-reading a book that has been completed at school. 

Handwriting

In readiness for writing children benefit from pre-writing activities such as threading, Playdoh, tweezers, colouring and drawing activities. When practising handwriting it is very important that the children are seated correctly at a table and that the pencil is held correctly. The thumb and index finger should grip the pencil and the middle finger support at the back. For those children who find this grip difficult to adopt, a pencil grip will be provided. Handwriting practice may be given for homework.

How You Can Help

Children thrive when they feel confident and secure. The more independent a child is the more readily such confidence grows. For some Nursery children this may be the first time they have been left by their parent for any length of time and of course our staff are sensitive to this and so they ensure that there is a warm welcome every morning. Parents are welcome to stay in the room for a short time until their child is settled. If a child becomes distressed when it is time for the parents to leave, a member of staff will gently but firmly guide the child to an activity. Children usually settle very quickly once they are fully occupied and their parents are no longer in view. A phone call during the morning helps reassure parents that all is well!

Personal Skills

Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible and in control of their own personal needs. We recommend that you establish a good routine from the beginning allowing your children to take off and hang up their own coats and blazers by themselves with as little help from you as possible as during the school day they will be responsible for their own belongings and putting on their coats or fleeces. In Nursery Twigs and Acorns children are not expected to be potty trained.

Lunches & Snacks

Lunches

Our food is cooked at school by our resident chef and is organically sourced when possible. Each day we offer a choice of a hot meal or a baked potato, homemade soup and salad selection; a menu is displayed in the Nursery. We encourage the children to try new foods but they are not forced to eat anything they dislike. We teach all the children to hold a knife and fork correctly; knife in the right hand and fork in the left unless religious reasons dictate otherwise; and we teach them how to cut their food giving help where it is needed. Please continue this expectation at home. If there are any problems with lunch then we will liaise directly with parents. We are able to provide a variety of different diets due to health, religion or personal choice, please inform us of any dietary requirements on the Pupil Medical & Dietary Needs Information Form completed during the admissions process.

Absences & Holidays

Illness 

If your child is unable to attend nursery, please complete the 'Report Illness' form on My School Portal by 8.30 am on each morning of absence explaining the reason(s) for absence. Children must be fully recovered before returning to nursery. If your child has had sickness or diarrhoea, they must not return to nursery for 48 hours after the last incidence as advised by the Health Protection Agency. Please notify us of any contagious diseases to enable us to inform other parents.

Absence

To inform us of an absence, complete the 'Request Absence' form in My School Portal. When completing the form, please complete the ‘comments’ box giving full details of the absence. 

Drop Off, Collection and Parking

Morning Drop Off

Children may be brought to nursery from 7.30 am. All chidren must be signed in as this is a necessary procedure for Health and Safety. Please leave your children promptly once they are safely within the building. We are keen to encourage the children’s independence and establish a settled routine. All children and their siblings must be close by an adult as there is a considerable volume of traffic at these times.

Afternoon Collection

Nursery children are collected from the front door of Greenfield Little School.

Collection Arrangements and Changes

If a different person is collecting your child please email the nursery. Please do not use the telephone for such messages except in an emergency. Children will not be given to an unauthorised person. In the event of late collection, a member of staff will stay with the child whilst efforts are made to telephone parents or the emergency contact number. If you are doing a regular share of pick up then please inform the nursery by email of your arrangements.

Parking

Please do not arrive on site more than five minutes before the designated pick up time and cars should be parked in the designated spaces at the school - parking on the grass verges is forbidden. Engines must not be left running in unattended cars. Please observe yellow lines and ‘No Parking’ signs and do not park across any crossings. Please do not leave your car parked on site for the day without prior arrangement as all outdoor space is used during the school day.

Communication between Home & School

• All communications are sent via our parent portal, My School Portal. My School Portal is accessed either via a desktop or mobile app. Other communications are via The Bulletin, our weekly newsletter and the termly printed school diary booklet. Staff are of course always available for individual consultations at mutually convenient times throughout the day. Please download the instructions to activate your My School Portal account for the first time HERE. 

• Nursery use the online platform 'Tapestry'. This is a valuable tool in creating home school links by sharing photographs, updates and special news. The staff record an individual care diary each day, listing food, nappies and naps. Across the Early Years observations are shared each week of your child in action.

• Parents’ Evenings are held at various points throughout the year.

• Staff are always available for a quick chat at the beginning and end of the day but please make an appointment for a longer meeting.

   

Medical

Accidents

Any accidents are treated according to the guidelines laid out by St John Ambulance. All nursery staff are Full Paediatric First Aiders. Parents are informed through Medical Tracker as and when accidents arise. In the event of a significant injury that may require further treatment you will be notified immediately. Head bumps will result in immediate notification. If this treatment is required urgently a member of staff will take the child to hospital.

Illness

If your child is unable to attend nursery, please complete the 'Report Illness' form on My School Portal by 8.30 am on each morning of absence explaining the reason(s) for absence. Children must be fully recovered before returning to school. If your child has had sickness or diarrhoea, they must not return to school for 48 hours after the last incidence as advised by the Health Protection Agency. Please notify us of any contagious diseases to enable us to inform other parents.

Vaccinations

We ask parents to keep up to date with vaccinations, for further information please refer to: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/childhood-vaccines-timeline

Medicines

If you have given your child any medicine before school, prescribed or otherwise, can you please inform the nursery in person or by email. If medicine needs to be given during the nursery day please hand it to the nursery staff. Medicine should not be carried by children.

Uniform

A uniform list will be posted here shortly

Other Information

Change of Contact Information

If you change any of your contact information (especially emergency contact details) during the school year, please update your details on My School Portal as soon as possible and tell the nursery of these changes via email.

Charity

We like to encourage the children to think of those who are less fortunate than they are. Each year we choose one national and one international charity to support and a proportion of all our fundraising goes to these two charities throughout the year. The children vote on which charities to support following a presentation and we hold specific charity days each term to raise money.

Complaints Procedure

Should you have any complaint to make against the nursery, there is a Complaints Procedure which should be followed. This Complaints Procedure is available on the website under Policies. It is available to any parent should they wish to see it or make use of it. Ofsted may be contacted directly on 08456 404045 or at enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Hoe Bridge Social Committee

This is a combined committee made up of parents and staff from across the school (Nursery to Senior) which organise termly social events. All school events are very relaxed, hugely enjoyable and are strongly recommended.

Hoe Bridge Fundraising Committee

Specific fundraising activities and events are organised by this committee which also manages any funds raised by the Parents’ Circle and Social Committee. The majority of the funds raised are divided evenly between our two chosen charities with a small remainder being retained by the school to pay for additional items such as playground equipment.

Parents’ Circle

Our Parents’ Circle is made up of two representatives for each class and Chairpersons. The purpose of the Parents’ Circle is to provide a vital link between parent and school. Each year the Parents' Circle organise a variety of social events and help at key events such as Harvest Festival, Christmas and Sports Day.  

Parental Rights to Take Photographs

Parents are permitted to take pictures and videos at nursery events for private use only. These pictures and/or videos must not be published in any format including print or online. Without consent of the other parents whose children may be captured on film you would be in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Photographs

Each Autumn Term an individual photograph is taken with an opportunity for siblings to be taken together and orders are processed in time for Christmas. Each Summer Term a class photograph is taken and every alternate year a whole school photograph is taken and both may be ordered directly with the photographer. 

Policies

All documents are available to read on our website under Policies

Safety

Parents are responsible for the safety of their children before and after nursery whilst on the school premises. All children should remain with an adult.