Rushton is a small, rural school on the edge of the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The Nursery children are taught in a mixed age class alongside Reception children by a fully qualified teacher.
We seek to provide a safe, stimulating environment, caring for the individual child and providing a happy atmosphere for learning.
The qualities of confidence, tolerance and compassion are encouraged, leading the child to become a valued member of the community.
As a Church of England school, this is done in an environment which celebrates Christian values.
GETTING READY FOR NURSERY
Nursery Times
The school gates are open for nursery at 8.30am and collection starts from 3.00pm.
Children can attend from the term they turn 3 years old. We are flexible in the sessions and hours children can attend but our general morning and afternoon sessions are:
- Morning: 8.30am-12pm
- Afternoon: 1pm-3pm
- Lunchtime: 12pm-1pm
Children are welcome to have their lunch at school if attending morning or afternoon sessions. Children can opt for a school dinner at £1.60 or bring a packed lunch.
All children are eligible for 15 hours FREE funding and this takes effect from the term after your child turns 3 years old. We also have spaces available for parents wishing to use the 30 hours funded childcare for those parents who meet the criteria. More information about this can be found at Staffordshire EEF.
Additional sessions are charged at £4.50 per hour.
Starting Nursery
Starting school can be a very exciting time, however both children and parents can sometimes feel a little bit apprehensive about the changes ahead.
At Rushton we aim to make this transition as smooth and positive as possible.
We recommend you and your child come along and visit our nursery class during the school day. This is an opportunity to meet the teacher and become familiar with our environment before starting the nursery.
We then recommend visits to our nursery class, where your child will come into school and stay for a short period of time, usually about an hour to start with.
We are flexible with visits and we think they are really valuable as they give your child the chance to spend some time at school without you and this will really build their confidence for when they start properly.
First Day at Nursery
You will agree your child’s start date with the class teacher and which days or sessions you would like them to attend. We are very flexible with this and so if you wanted to change days or sessions at any point do not hesitate to ask.
Nursery and Reception children are met at the gate by a member of staff and then encouraged to come in and hang up their coat and find their name card to stick on the door.
Once they have done this, they can independently access the classroom and choose which activity they would like to do.
What Your Child Will Need
In nursery, children can wear the nursery uniform. Children will take part in messy activities and so we provide aprons or painting shirts.
However sometimes your child may come home ‘messy’ but everything we use is usually something that can be easily washed out! It is also a good idea if your child has a spare change of clothes to be kept in school in case this is needed.
We do use our outdoor area all year round whatever the weather. With this in mind please provide your child with a warm water proof coat, hats and gloves during colder months and sun cream and a sun hat during those warmer months.
We also have ‘Forest School’ sessions and so we ask every child has a pair of wellies to keep in school, as sessions can be different days and times each week.
We have weekly PE sessions, which are also alternated and so please provide your child with a PE kit to leave in school. This will be sent home half termly to be washed.
Uniforms and PE kits can be purchased from Supersport in Leek.
LEARNING IN NURSERY
Curriculum
Nursery and Reception are a mixed class at Rushton and work from the statutory EYFS curriculum. This is organised in the following areas of learning.
The Prime Areas are:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal Social and Emotional Development
The Specific Areas are:
- Literacy
- Maths
- Expressive Arts & Design
- Understanding of the World
Both nursery and reception children play together for their learning and in some instances, children will play in smaller groups or year groups, which will all depend on the learning needs of the individual children. The children lead their own learning, with the teachers responding to their interests and spotting the teachable moments in their play.
Soccer Lions
At Rushton CE First school we are lucky to have Soccer Lions come into school. This is a weekly PE programme which we offer throughout the year for Nursery and Reception.
This programme has been created to include and develop the following prime skills:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development (Soccer skills)
These skills are delivered through a fun and exciting programme that uses soccer and games to practice the following aspects of development:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding of the World
- Expressive Arts & Design
Each 40 – 55 minute weekly session is delivered through structured and free play in a safe and fun packed environment. All Soccer Lions sessions use specialist equipment and are managed by staff who are educated and trained to give your child every chance to have the best start in the game. The programme is structured according to the different ages and stages of a child’s development.
Learning to Read and Phonics
At Rushton we teach children to read through Bug Club Phonics which is an accredited phonics scheme. The Nursery children take part Phase One of this scheme, focusing on the children’s speaking and listening skills, oral blending, alliteration, rhythm and rhyme and initial sounds. This prepares the children for learning to read when they move into Reception.
At Rushton we teach phonics daily and the provision in the classroom supports phonics to allow children to further develop independently. We also encourage a love of reading and have lots of reading opportunities in the classroom as well as daily story sessions.
If you would like further information about how we teach children to read please ask the class teacher.
Finding out about your child’s progress
OTHER INFORMATION
Drinks/snack:
All nursery age children are provided with free milk and fruit daily at 10.15am
Uniform and PE Kit:
You can purchase both nursery uniform and PE kit from Supersport in Leek. The address is: Supersport, Hope Silk Mill, Macclesfield Road, Leek ST13 8JZ. The opening hours are: Monday – Thursday 8.30am – 5.00pm, Friday 8.30am – 4.00pm, Saturday / Sunday CLOSED.
Letters:
At Rushton we have a weekly school Newsletter which will keep you up to date with any special days or events. This can be emailed or a paper copy can be given to your child. Other letters can also be emailed or given as a paper copy.
Sickness/Absence:
If your child is unwell please contact the school office first thing in the morning on 01260 226303 or email rps.office@ttlt.org.uk
PTA:
At Rushton we support a successful PTA who organise a number of social events and fund raising for both parents and children. All parents are welcome to join PTA meetings and can put themselves forward to be part of the PTA. Our PTA have a Facebook page where they post information and important dates and events. Please like and follow us on Facebook through our PTA page: ‘Friends of Rushton’.
Nursery Class Facebook Page:
Our nursery class have their own Facebook page where we post about all the exciting and fun activities we do each week. Please like and follow us on Facebook through our page: ‘Rushton School Nursery’.
Contact Us:
Rushton First School, Sugar St, Rushton Spencer, Macclesfield SK11 0SG
Phone: 01260 226303
Email: rps.office@ttlt.org.uk
- Early Education Funding
- Nursery Admissions Policy
- Nursery Charging and Remission Policy
- Nursery Debt Policy
- SCC Early Years Funding Guide for Parents