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Welcome to Early Years

Welcome to Early Years

Our Early Years journey begins in the Nursery for children aged 2.5 years. Our Nursery provides a warm and friendly introduction to our youngest children set in a bespoke, stimulating and nurturing environment at the heart of the school.

We foster an atmosphere where the children learn to value each other as individuals, celebrating each other’s successes, and are caring, considerate and friendly towards their peers.

  • From 2.5 years
  • Open 38 weeks
  • Coastal village location
  • Coastal-inspired activities including ‘Beach School’
  • Day trips and specialist teaching
  • Highly qualified and expert Early Years staff
  • 15 hours funded Early Years education available (enhanced provision charge of £2.80 per funded hour applies)
  • Childcare vouchers accepted
  • Wrap around care (Before/After School and Holiday Club) is available through our partners Creative Kidz Childcare Ltd

Early Years events familiarises the Nursery children with the Infant classrooms and teachers, helping them to understand better their role in our school community, whilst the annual Nativity and Sports Day help to build their confidence and encourage them to try new things.

We take the time to know every child, their strengths and weaknesses, guided by the bond they make with their key person. We work in partnership with home, and have an open door policy for parents to talk to staff, with parents’ evenings every term and daily contact maintained through a diary system.

Every child is supported by our highly qualified Nursery/Early Years staff to maximise the next steps in their learning. When they are ready to join our Infant School, there is a transition process in place to help smooth their journey into full time school.

 

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Results 

Our GLD (Good Level Development) results for 2019 were well above the national and county averages:

Meoncross = 94%

Hampshire = 77%

National = 72%

 


A mother at Tiddler and Toddler Group

I am so pleased that my daughter will never have to make the painful transition of starting Nursery as she already knows all the staff and the setting from such an early age (9 months).

Children in Nursery are encouraged to become active participants in their learning, as they take part in a wide variety of activities. We follow the Foundation Stage curriculum, focusing on seven areas: communication and language; physical development; personal, social and emotional development; literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design.

Our Beach School provides an ideal environment for all areas of the curriculum. The beach provides a perfect backdrop for the children to learn and practice more traditional elements of the curriculum, such as phonics and mathematics, as well as allowing them to develop their practical, emotional and intellectual skills in activities such as scavenger hunts, making shelters and writing letters in the sand.

Closer to home, early phonics play a vital role in learning to read and writing. These are taught using the Read, Write Inc. phonics scheme, which along with mathematics are covered every day.

Practical activities such as Happy Diggers, where children grow their own plants and vegetables, take place alongside free time when the children have a choice of play activities, using our inside and outside space.

French, ballet, PE, music and drama are taught by specialist teachers each week; with drama and music playing a key role in the traditional Nursery Nativity each year. Cooking is a regular activity in the Nursery kitchen, when the children are encouraged to make a variety of healthy recipes.

Educational visits to local farms, parks, libraries and different beaches bring children into the community, and extend their learning beyond the classroom.

Learning Journals are accessed and updated online using Tapestry, and parents stay in touch with school matters through our virtual learning environment, Firefly.

Meoncross Early Years

Where imagination is at the heart of learning!

01329 66 2182