INTRODUCTION TO ST STEPHEN’S NURSERY SCHOOL

This was compiled with the involvement of the staff and governors of St Stephen’s Nursery School. Special thanks to Mr J Forward for his invaluable assistance.

WELCOME

On behalf of the staff of St Stephen's Nursery School, I would like to welcome you and your child to our school. We hope your stay with us will be happy and fruitful.

The nursery has places for 160 children to attend on a part time basis either in the morning or the afternoon. We have three classrooms, Yellow Room, Red Room and Green Room, each with one teacher and at least one nursery nurse. Your child will be based in one of these rooms for their whole stay at nursery.

For information about Extended day, please click here.

All our teachers and nurses are qualified to work with young children. We also have a welfare assistant, a school secretary and a site supervisor.

Throughout the term you will see students working alongside the other staff as the nursery has many links with training institutions. You will also see other parents spending time at the nursery playing and doing activities with the children. We welcome your involvement most particularly.

By providing appropriate toys, pictures and equipment as well as recognising religious and cultural customs and festivals the nursery staff aim to create an environment that reflects in some ways the home that they know.

At nursery your child will have a valuable opportunity to develop his or her interests and learning skills. In addition your child finds out what it means to share with others and through this begins to learn tolerance and respect.

We also encourage the children to trust their teachers and to know that they are there to help, whatever the problem. We hope that you too will gain benefit from our school and will come to view the nursery as a valuable resource for our community.

Lorraine Dodge

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MISSION STATEMENT

Our aim at St Stephen’s Nursery School is to cultivate the natural curiosity and wonder at the world that all young children show.

We endeavour to provide a quality learning environment in which all children can develop their intellectual, creative, aesthetic, physical, emotional and social learning and where the contributions of all members of the school’s community are valued.

To achieve these aims our objectives are:

To create a community where learning is seen as a worthwhile experience.

To create a rich, diverse and stimulating environment in which each child can reach his or her full potential and become an independent learner.

To develop positive attitudes in relation to living in a community.

To encourage the development of a sense of responsibility for one’s self and one’s own actions.

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ADMISSION

It is the main function of nursery to make the transition from home to school as gentle and natural as possible and how the process is begun is of vital importance. At St Stephen’s we like to take it at the child’s pace, beginning with a short first visit and building up into a whole session.

You as parent or carer have a role in this. We need you there to introduce your child to us and the school. You or another trusted adult should stay with your child for the first few days/weeks until he or she is confident to be left. You will get an insight into what your child will be doing in the nursery and will thus be better able to talk to your child about his/her day.

It is time well spent as experience shows, and those children who have been settled in gently with support from their family are happier too.

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FIRST VISIT

On the first visit you will meet your child’s key worker, the member of staff who will have most responsibility for your child’s welfare and development.

At this meeting you will be asked some questions about your child, their likes and dislikes, their ways of playing and talking for example. We will do our best to answer any questions you may have, too.

The information you give us at this first meeting will form the basis of a record of your child’s achievements through the school.

The Profile is developed over time and is maintained by staff and parents/carers as the child makes progress.

The Profiles are kept in the classroom, always in the child’s Key Worker’s box, and we encourage you to read your child’s Profile regularly and to add to it any comments or observations you wish. Look only at your own child’s record please.

A summary of the profile will go with your child to the primary school. You may keep the profile as a record of your child's first school achievement.

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LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

We believe that young children will learn most effectively when they are interested, stimulated, happy and feeling safe. When young children play, sing, talk, listen to stories, draw, model with clay, climb, run, swing, ride, build, do puzzles and so on, they are using and developing their physical, mental, social and emotional skills.

The school has a policy of free play where a child is allowed to choose their own activity from a range on offer that day. The staff are there to help children gain the most benefit from their play. The activities offered by the staff each day are carefully planned to cover, over the term, all the subjects in the school curriculum at a level appropriate to the children’s development. Thus they have fun and play happily while learning at the same time. Educational trips to local shops, parks, temples and mosques occur when appropriate throughout the year.

The school policy entitled "Learning through Play" as well as copies of the School Curriculum and the school’s policy on Special Educational Needs are available from the school office for prospective parents. The staff are pleased to be able to help translate for you if necessary.

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SPECIAL NEEDS

The school has a policy which aims to meet a child’s special educational needs within the classroom wherever possible.

The policy covers early identification of those children who are having difficulty and provides a proper plan, framework and timetable for the meeting of those needs at the earliest opportunity.

This can in some cases involve liason with other welfare agencies and specialists whose role will be to assess the problem and provide support to all parties.

Parents and carers are fully involved in all stages of the process. The policy is available in the school office for parents or carers to read at any time.

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LANGUAGES

The school has a high percentage of pupils for whom English is an additional language and we have bilingual staff who list Gujarati, Bengali, Hindi and Malayalam among their skills, to help everyone to communicate.

Bilingual books are also an important tool for the children, as are songs and rhymes sung in English and other languages.

We believe that children learn English through hearing it used all around them. They listen and eventually speak, just a few words to begin with but finally with confidence as their vocabulary grows.

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EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The school has a fundamental commitment to equality of opportunity. Everyone associated with the school must have the opportunity to work towards achieving their full potential regardless of race, gender, disability, social class or educational need.

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EXTENDED DAY AT ST STEPHEN’S

St Stephen’s is one of a few nurseries to offer extended hours. This service offers a full time nursery day from 8.00am to 6.00pm for 32 children. It is operated in partnership with Social Services for children who have an educational or social need as assessed by the school and/or the Social Services Department. The extended day building was purposely built for the scheme and it is staffed by three nursery nurses and three school meal supervisors. The scheme is operated through the holidays.

If you would like your child to be considered for a place in the scheme please speak to the head or deputy head. The places are assigned according to need and are sought after but there is usually a place for a short term emergency such as the illness of the main carer.

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FEE PAYING PLACES

The school has a small number of fee paying places. The charges are currently £55 a week. The hours of opening are from 8.00am to 6.00pm and through out most of the school holidays. For more information please contact the school.

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FAMILIES

Home and family are of the greatest importance to the children and to see their parents in the school to read a story, do some cooking or gardening, singing with them or being there to play is a real source of pride for them.

It can be very rewarding for the parent too, so if you can spare a couple of hours one day, or have a hobby or interest you can share with the children please speak to any of the staff.

Parents are encouraged to talk with their child’s teacher if they or their child are experiencing any difficulties. You may like to make an appointment to see the teacher or the head after school hours. All information is treated in the strictest confidence.

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BOOK SHARING

Children are encouraged to look at books from the very first day at school. Twice a week your child will bring home a folder with a book inside which we hope you will look at with them.

There are some bilingual books but it is just as important to just look at the pictures and talk with your child about them.

If you show them that books are interesting, exciting and fun, then your child will want to read. Inside your child’s book bag you will find some more information about how you can help your child at home to read.

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CARERS AND TODDLERS

There are four sessions of the toddlers group on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 1pm to 2.45pm. Children from 0 to nursery age accompanied by a parent or carer are welcome to enjoy a wide range of toys and activities in the extended day bulding. It costs 50p per child per session and this includes refreshments for carer and child. The group is affiliated to the Pre School Learning Alliance and is run on a voluntary basis by a committee of mothers which is elected each year. Ask at the nursery or drop in at the group for more information.

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING

The children spend a great deal of their time at nursery outdoors in the garden and playground. They want to run and climb, push trolleys, jump and ride whatever the season, so please make sure your child is appropriately dressed to be comfortable and safe.

In winter please provide them with a warm hat and coat and their gloves on a string. A hat or cap and a tee shirt to protect their skin in hot weather and sensible shoes or trainers are also strongly advised.

Children can bring fruit to share at fruit time, midway through the session, when milk or water is also provided. This is a relaxing and social time which is much enjoyed by the children.

Sweets and cakes are allowed only on special occasions such as birthdays or festival times. We are happy to celebrate your child’s birthday with them, if you wish, by singing songs with them and sharing party food. We ask you to bring in simple vegetarian food which all the children can share. The staff will be happy to advise you on this.

Anyone working with young children will understand how important it is for them to have a healthy and balanced diet. Here at St Stephen’s N.E.C, we are addressing this issue in a variety of ways.

At snack-time in St Stephens N.E.C there are no biscuits, only fruit. Parents are encouraged to contribute one fruit every session which we share mid-morning and mid-afternoon. This snack-time is an opportunity for staff to talk to the children about healthy foods and help children to understand why it is good for them to eat more fruit.

We have links with the local dentist and one of their hygienists comes regularly to talk to the children about the importance of looking after their teeth. She brings in puppets and really encourages the children to remember to brush their teeth regularly and avoid too many sugary foods and fizzy drinks.

At St Stephen’s N.E.C we celebrate many different festivals. At this time we ask parents to make a contribution of vegetarian foods to share among everyone. This is a very enjoyable 6time for staff, parents and children. Fruit and vegetables can be expensive, but there is presently a new initiative run by Sure Start to make fruit available to all parents of children under 4 at very reasonable prices. The fruit and vegetables are for sale every Monday at Shrewsbury Road Health Centre, which is about 5 minutes walk from the nursery.

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THE GOVERNING BODY

The role of the governing body is to help the school provide the best possible education for its pupils. It helps to set, and keep under review, the broad framework within which the headteacher and staff run the school. The governing body also provides the headteacher and staff with support, advice and information, drawing on its members’ knowledge and experience.

It is not the role of the governing body to rubber stamp every decision of the headteacher, however. The governing body has a right to discuss, question and refine proposals – while always respecting the professional roles of the headteacher and staff. In its turn, the governing body answers for its actions, above all to parents and the wider community for the school’s overall performance.

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CATCHMENT AREAS

The majority of children attend St Stephen’s or Shaftesbury Primary Schools.

St Stephen’s Primary School

Shaftesbury Primary School

Crescent Road

Elizabeth Road

Fry Road

Milton Avenue (high numbers down to 96/121)

Park Road

Plashet Grove

St Stephen’s Road

Walpole Road

Washington Road

Whitfield Road

Whitaker Road

Wortley Road

Wyndham Road

Waterloo Road

Ashley Road

Charles Road

Chester Road

Cromwell Road

Dorset Road

Edith Road

Green Street – up to 377 (after 377 Cleves Primary)

Hilda Road

Jephson Road

Katherine Road

Lens Road

Lansdown Road

Marlborough Road

Prestbury Road

Rothsay Road

Rutland Road

Shaftesbury Road

South Esk Road – 1/95, 2/96

Woodstock Road

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STAFF AT ST STEPHEN’S NURSERY SCHOOL

*Head Teacher:*		Lorraine Dodge
*Teachers:*		Nicky (Deputy), Janet , Lisa, Pat (Sure Start Supply)
*Nursery Nurses:*		Daksha, , Sobhana, Emma, Marie, Emilie, Yogaish, Noorjahan, Halima, Archna, Nashima, Sohema, Georgina
*Support Staff:*		Asha, Linda B, Linda M, Yasmin, Zaheera, Runa

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