Goldstone Crescent
Dunstable
Beds
LU5 4QU
Phone: 01582 662600
Email: office@willownursery.co.uk
Latest News
Nursery News 5th June 2023
NURSERY NEWS
Monday 5th June 2023 – Edition 299.
Find out About
A. Willow Nursery School Ofsted Inspection Report
B. We are now enrolling two year olds, to begin at Willow Nursery School, in September 2023
C. Fees Increase from September 2023
D. Ice Pops
E. Mud Kitchen Ingredients
F Things to bring to school, Things to leave at home.
G. What the children are learning about this week?
A. Willow Nursery School Ofsted Inspection Report
As you are all aware, we had an ungraded Section 8 inspection on 21st April 2023. Our Inspection Report has been made available to us today. I have attached the report to this email for you to read. Ofsted Inspections are important. Ofsted Inspectors are experienced educators. Myself and the Senior Team respected the Inspectors findings, but remember they were here for just one day. Their aim is to help with school improvement and development, as well as measuring schools against standardised criteria. The standards required of schools is ever increasing. The bar is constantly being raised. The Lead Inspector told us that for schools to maintain an Outstanding grading moving forward, they would have to be functioning as a beacon school, with other schools visiting from far and wide to see the very best practice. We have always worked extremely hard, as a team, to provide the very best education we can for the children in our Local Community, and we still continue to do so. We have listened to the Inspectors about what the school needs to do to improve, and we have already started working on new ideas.
B. We are now enrolling two year olds, to begin at Willow Nursery School, in September 2023
Children who already attend Willow Nursery School in our two year old class do not need to do anything. If there are any younger brothers or sisters that you wish to enrol in the Little Nursery in
September 2023 speak to Mrs Davies. We are looking to enrol children who will be aged two by 30th September 2023. (Children with dates of birth from 1/9/20 to 30/9/21) Please ensure you have put your younger children on our contact list. If you have any friends or family who are looking for a two year old nursery space, please do tell them to get in touch.
C. Fees Increase from September 2023
We have not increased our fees since 2016. We have always tried to charge as low fees as possible to help our families. We have looked at what other similar settings charge and discussed this with School Governors. Our fees from September 2023 will be: £15.00 for a three hour session in Big Nursery 3+, and £18.00 per session in Little Nursery 2+. Children who receive 15 or 30 hours free funding do not pay fees for their free funded sessions.
D. Ice Pops
We are moving swiftly towards the hottest part of the year in school. To help keep the children cool and hydrated we like to offer children ice pops when it is very hot. We also use the ice pop snack break as a way to encourage children to sit quietly inside or in the shade for a few minutes. We would ask all parents to consider buying a box of ice pops to donate to school for us to share with the
children. We have a freezer in the classroom to store them in.
E. Mud Kitchen Ingredients
We have a wonderfully messy mud kitchen in the garden. During the summer months, children are encouraged to get creative, mixing muddy mixtures. We provide soil and water, and children add grass, leaves or anything else they can find outside. Mrs Patterson has asked if parents have any out of date herbs or spices that they would like to donate to the mud kitchen. Please nothing sweet though, if we start playing with sweet substances we will attract ants!
F. Things to bring to school, Things to leave at home.
Please can we remind parents to provide spoons or other necessary cutlery for your child’s lunchbox. Our spares in school disappear over time. We have seen an increase in the number of children
bringing toys to school. Please encourage your children to leave personal toys at home. Children become upset if they get lost or broken, and personal toys can often cause arguments between children
G. What the children are learning about this week?
The theme in Little Nursery is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
In Catkins, Mrs McGrath will read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the children. The children will then create their very own caterpillars. Mrs McGrath will support the children as they count out and stick down circles to create their caterpillar, they will then add eyes and legs to their artwork. In Room three, Miss Gaffney will be helping the children to make name caterpillars. They will work hard to write out some of the letters in their name and focus on holding their pencils in an effective way. Miss Gaffney will support children by modelling how to write the letters in their names. In the link, Mrs Watson will use inflated balloons to create caterpillar paintings. She will support the children with dipping the balloons in different coloured paints and then pushing them down gently onto paper. The finished effect should look like a colourful caterpillar. Mrs Watson will talk
to the children about the different colours that the children are using. She will also explain that the caterpillar changes into a butterfly over time. Outside, Mrs Brinkley will be teaching everyone how to transport items safely from one area to another. She will encourage the children to think about safety and working as a team. They will transport large urns filled with water to the sandpit. The children will be shown that the sand changes consistency when water is added and is better for building and creating sandcastles.
The theme in Big Nursery is science week.
In Room one, Miss Howe will be making popcorn with the children. They will watch how the heat changes the kernels into popcorn. Miss Howe will let everyone make their own bag of popcorn and they will be allowed to sit down at the table to eat it. Mrs Cashmore will set up a dark tent for the children to be able to explore light and dark. She will provide some letters, numbers and
shapes for the children to explore on the walls of the tent and on top of a light box. Children will be encouraged to take turns in the dark tent, with only two children using the tent at a time and a timer to help them share. In Room two, Mrs Patterson will encase some toys in ice and allow the children time to figure out how to free the toys. She will urge the children to think about how they might get the toys out of the ice in a safe manner and discuss things such as the temperature of the ice, how it is different to room temperature and what might happen because of these changes.
Outside, Miss Skai will be using buckets and paintbrushes to teach the children about evaporation. She will model how to write and draw using the water and brushes and watch the
effects of the sun on the water. While outside, Miss Skai will also use the sun to explain how shadows are made. She will encourage everyone to look at their own shadows and any other
shadows they may find in the playground
Nursery News 22nd May 2023
NURSERY NEWS
Monday 22nd May 2023 – Edition 298.
Find out About
A. Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates A reminder.
B. Houghton Regis Dental Centre now accepting new patient children.
C. Chicks and Butterflies have hatched!
D. Sun Safety
E. What the children are learning about this week?
A.Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates. A reminder
I plan to leave this information in the newsletter for the next few weeks as there are a number of Bank Holidays coming up….
Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June 2023, Half Term Week, School Closed
(29th May is a Bank Holiday)
Thursday 20th July 2023 will be the last day of term for all children. School opens for normal
hours.
Friday 21st July 2023 school will be open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us.
The session will be a morning only session from 8:50am to 11:50am
B. Houghton Regis Dental Centre now accepting new patient children.
Anyone under the age of 18 is now welcome to register with Houghton Regis Dental Centre for NHS dental Care. This can either be done online, over the phone (01582 865001) or by completing a form at the practice.(105-111 High Street, Houghton Regis, Dunstable LU5 5BJ)
C. Chicks and Butterflies have hatched!
During the summer term we learn about things that grow. We introduce the children to the idea of ‘lifecycles’. We have been observing the lifecycle of some caterpillars. We have watched
them grow from small caterpillars to big, fat caterpillars. We watched as they spun cocoons around themselves. Four butterflies have hatched successfully in our butterfly house.
We have also provided a ‘Living Eggs’ experience for the children. Living Eggs is a company that provides everything we need to enable our pupils to see eggs hatch successfully into
chicks.
Our eggs arrived last Monday, and since then we have cared for them in an incubator. They began to hatch last Thursday. After a few hours we moved the newly hatched chicks to their
new home, a light clean box with a warming lamp, with a big clear window so that the chicks can look out and our pupils can look in. We have ten chicks.
The chicks will be with us until Friday. They begin to grow rapidly and their wing feathers start to develop. At this stage they become more difficult for us and the children to handle as they start
to flap around. The lady from Living Eggs will return and take the chicks back to the farm.
D. Sun Safety
We are moving swiftly towards the hottest part of the year in school. I have been doing some research online to ensure I can give parents good advice about Sun Safety.
I have taken some information from Cancer Research UK’s website:
The best way to enjoy the sun safely and protect your skin is to use shade, clothing and sunscreen.
Shade and clothing are better than sunscreen at protecting your skin.
Sunscreen shouldn’t be used to spend longer in the sun. But they can be useful for protecting the parts of skin not covered by clothing or shade.
Clothing
Clothing should cover your shoulders and have long sleeves. The more skin that’s covered by your clothing, the better the protection.
Choose clothing that’s loose-fitting and darker in colour
Look for materials with a close weave- as a guide you can hold the material up to the light tocheck you can’t see through the fabric
Hats
Choose a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears and neck for the most UV protection.
Shade
Spending time in the shade is one of the best ways to protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays.
So what does this mean for us at Willow?
We still go outside everyday, but we do limit how long children can go outside if it is very hot. We encourage all children to drink plenty, reminding them that their water bottle is always
available. We do encourage children to come inside for a rest in the shade. At some points in the day we completely close outside, so that we know all children have had a break from the
sun. We are very lucky in that our school remains fairly cool in the summer, with lots of windows for ventilation.
You know your child best!
Some children are more vulnerable to the sun than others. I have red hair and freckles, which means that I can burn very easily, (Sometimes in very strong sun, in as little as 20 minutes).
Some children are less likely to burn than others. People with naturally dark or brown skin burn less easily. But people with darker skin can still burn – it might feel itchy or tender rather than
changing colour.
So, I can give advice, but you must make day to day decisions regarding your child’s sun safety.
How can you help us?
Dress your child appropriately. Try to avoid too much bare skin. A t-shirt gives much more protection from the sun than a strappy sundress or a vest top. Think about children’s feet.
Exposed skin in sandals may burn. nWe would ask you to apply sun protection cream to your child before they attend morning or afternoon sessions. We will assume that all pupils will have
had sun protection cream applied at home. If your child attends all day and you wish your child to have additional cream applied at lunchtime, please send a bottle of sun protection cream into school (please pass it to their Keyworker) and we will store it safely in the classroom, out of the children’s reach. This cream should be left in school. Ensure their name is on it. Staff will assist
children to apply sun protection cream at lunchtime. We will help pupils to apply sun protection cream to their face, neck and arms. Please do not leave sun protection cream in your child’s
bag. We do not want children sharing their cream with their friends. One year we found a pair of children applying it to their teeth to use as toothpaste! Please provide your child with a hat with their name on when the weather is sunny. A hat with a broad brim is better than a cap for sun protection. A cap is better than no hat. Remember 2, 3,and 4 year olds cannot always remember the whereabouts of clothing that they have taken off. Put their name on it if you want it to return home!
More information regarding the summer term:
Consider what you would like your child to wear at school for safety. Children are still climbing and riding bikes so long sundresses and strappy sandals are not always practical!
Messy Play: As the weather improves we take more and more activities outside. More water is used and play can become much messier. Please ensure clothes are play friendly and send in
spares as children can become soaked if they pour water down their clothes, even with aprons on!
E. What the children are learning about this week?
The theme in Little Nursery is the flower shop.
In Catkins, Mrs Field will be working with the children on developing their fine motor skills. They will have the opportunity to look at some daffodils in a vase and be shown how to recreate this image as a painting using cotton buds and appropriate colours. In the Link, Mrs Watson will set up a flower shop role play for the children to use. She will model language and counting skills for the children to learn. They will experiment with numerals, symbols and marks as they use clipboards to write down lots of orders for customers. Outside, Mrs Brinkley will have music playing as she shows the children how to move around the nursery in different ways. She will praise the children for trying to hop, skip, balance and dance to the music.
The theme in Big Nursery is ‘Chicks’.
This week our chicks have hatched in Room 1. Miss Howe will be teaching the children about caring for them and keeping them safe. All children will be offered the chance to hold the chicks and they will be encouraged to sit sensibly as they hold them on their laps. Children will be shown how to hold the chicks without hurting or scaring them and praised for taking such great care of them while they are at our school. Staff will talk to the children about the life cycle of a chick and discuss how they have already seen part of that cycle as the chicks have hatched from the eggs.
The chicks will spend some time in Room 2 with Mrs Patterson to enable the children to observe them. The children will look at the features of the chicks, including their beaks, feathers
and wings. After spending some time observing the chicks, the children will try to paint still life images of them, including as many details as possible.
Outside, Miss Skai will support the children in making kites that they can fly around the garden. She will be teaching from a science point of view, talking about the weather conditions we may
need to make our kites fly and where might be the best place to fly them outside of school.
Nursery News Tuesday 9th May 2023
NURSERY NEWS
Tuesday 9th May 2023 – Edition 297 (sent Friday 5th May 2023).
Find out About
A. Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates A reminder.
B. The King’s Coronation.
C. Holiday forms and pupil absence
D. What the children are learning about this week?
A.Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates. A reminder
I plan to leave this information in the newsletter for the next few weeks as there are a number of
Bank Holidays coming up….
Monday 8th May 2023 Bank Holiday Monday for King’s Coronation, School Closed.
Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June 2023, Half Term Week, School Closed
(29th May is a Bank Holiday)
Thursday 20th July 2023 will be the last day of term for all children. School opens for normal
hours.
Friday 21st July 2023 school will be open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us.
The session will be a morning only session from 8:50am to 11:50am
B. The King’s Coronation.
There has been lots and lots of talk in the school this week about the King’s coronation. Our aim
was for the children to become aware of, and understand, some of the words they will hear
linked to the coronation. There have been a wide variety of activities going on, but we wanted
to share with you the coronation role play created by Mrs Brinkley. The children took it in turns
to be a King or Queen and sit on the very special throne. Children dressed up in ‘fine clothes’,
and some chose to bow to the King or Queen. One child also chose to give birth on the throne,
and a baby princess popped out of her dress. Everyone was very happy that there was now a
princess. We have had lots of images around the school. We hope the children will have some knowledge about
what they may see or hear about the coronation. We hope everyone has an enjoyable Bank Holiday Weekend.
C. Holiday forms and pupil absence.
We are at the point in the year when some families begin to take holidays. If you have a
planned holiday during term time, please ask a member of staff for a holiday form. We ask that
you fill in this very short form so that we can update attendance registers correctly.
Please can we also remind parents that if your child is absent for any other reason please
telephone the school office and let us know. The school telephone does have an answering
machine which is regularly monitored, so do please leave a message letting us know the reason
for their absence and again we can update registers.
D. What the children are learning about this week?
The theme in little nursery is mini beasts.
In Catkins, Mrs McGrath will be focusing on maths with the children.
They will be creating paper plate lady bugs and counting the spots as
they add them. The children will be encouraged to count as high as
they can and Mrs McGrath will continue counting from where the
children left off to model mathematical language for the children.
In the Link, Mrs Brinkley will be exploring different paint techniques, she will show the children
how to paint using their fingers, brushes, cotton buds and sponges. She will discuss the
outcomes of painting with different equipment with the children and ask them which is their
favourite.
In Room 3, Mrs Watson will be counting toy insects. She will show the children that it is
important to touch each item as they count because this helps to highlight the link between item
and number name.
Outside, Miss Gaffney will be investigating the garden with the children. They will be using
magnifying glasses and viewing pots to observe any insects that they find. They will discuss
where they found the insects and learn their names.
The theme in big nursery is life cycles.
In Room 1, Miss Skai will ask the children to take part in a shared
read. She will have The Very Hungry Caterpillar book ready and a
sequencing activity for the children to complete to show their
understanding of the story. Miss Skai will also provide books on life
cycles of frogs and caterpillars.
In Room 2, Mrs Cashmore will be talking to the children about the
life cycle of a frog. They will be supported in creating a life cycle
wheel, which will show the different stages from frogspawn to adult frog. The children will have
access to an I-Pad to look at images and information about frogs and their stages of growth.
Outside, Mrs Patterson will be encouraging children to take turns playing in the mud kitchen.
She will provide aprons for the children to wear to protect their clothes and explain to the
children that they must wait for their turn. Children will know it is their turn when an apron
becomes available.
Please remember there will be no Nursery News on 15
th May 2023. The next edition will be
published on 22nd May 2023, due to Mrs Davies attending Jury Service.
Nursery News – Tuesday 2nd May 2023
NURSERY NEWS
Tuesday 2nd May 2023 – Edition 296
Find out About
A. Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates A reminder.
B. Strike action.
C. What the children are learning about this week?
A. Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates. A reminder
I plan to leave this information in the newsletter for the next few weeks as there are a number of Bank Holidays coming up….
Monday 1st May 2023. Bank Holiday Monday, School Closed.
Monday 8th May 2023 Bank Holiday Monday for King’s Coronation, School Closed.
Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June 2023, Half Term Week, School Closed (29th May is a Bank Holiday)
Thursday 20th July 2023 will be the last day of term for all children. School opens for normal hours.
Friday 21st July 2023 school will be open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us. The session will be a morning only session from 8:50am to 11:50am
B. Strike Action
The National Education Union will be holding a strike day this week on Tuesday 2nd May. As I have outlined previously Willow Nursery School plans to stay open on strike days.
C. What the children are learning about this week?
The theme throughout nursery this week is King Charles’ coronation.
We had a choice, whether to look at the coronation the week before it happens or the week after with the children. Miss Howe decided to look at the coronation the week before it happens, as she said children may be aware of preparations going on in the community beforehand and this would allow them to understand what this is all about.
In Catkins, Mrs Field will be making crowns to celebrate the crowning of the new King. She will talk to the children about the resources the children will use as they decorate their crowns. Mrs Field will explain to the children that our new King will have his own special crown to wear on Saturday the 6th of May.
In the link, Miss Gaffney will be using stamps to decorate crown pictures. As the children decorate, they will be encouraged to count the jewels they add to their crowns. Miss Gaffney will model and support counting and reciting numbers 1-5.
In Room 3, Mrs Brinkley will be reading Katie in London with the children. They will discuss the coronation being in London, with the procession starting at Buckingham Palace and finishing at Westminster Abbey. Mrs Brinkley will explain to the children that they can watch the coronation on the television or visit London to celebrate with their families.
Outside, Mrs Watson will be encouraging the children to express themselves using music and movement. She will supply a range of musical instruments for everyone to explore as well as music through a speaker. Mrs Watson will play the parachute game with children, when playing with the parachute, Mrs Watson will encourage children to use their listening ears so they can understand how to play by the rules.
Miss Howe will be making Union flags with the children and explaining that the Union flag represents the United Kingdom. She will inform the children that they may see the Union flag often over the weekend as people across the country celebrate the King’s coronation. The children will build upon their fine motor skills as they carefully colour in their flags.
Mrs Cashmore will set out picnic blankets and tea sets for the children to role play having a tea party. She will explain that people across the country will celebrate the King’s coronation in a variety of ways and that some may have their own party.
In Room 2, Miss Skai will support the children in making beautiful mosaics of the new King’s silhouette. She will explain to the children that a mosaic is a picture that can be made from a variety of materials such as different coloured glass or stone, but our mosaics will be made using paper and card.
In Room 1, Miss Patterson will be having group discussions with the children. In these discussions, she will talk about who the new king is and his transition from prince to king. She will model language such as crowning, coronation, and royal family. The children should gain an insight into who the royal family are and the changes that are happening.
Mrs Griffiths will be in to help children decorate ‘Coronation Biscuits’ Mrs Griffiths was a member of staff here at Willow. She has a passion for baking. She very kindly gives up her time to come in to school to lead regular baking sessions with the children. She is baking a huge volume of biscuits at home for the children to decorate in school.
Nursery News 24th April 2023
NURSERY NEWS
24th April 2023 – Edition 295
Find out About
A. Willow Nursery School Ofsted Inspection 21st April 2023
B.Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates A reminder.
C. Strike action.
D. Mrs Davies will be doing Jury Service. From Tuesday 9th May to Friday 19th May 2023
E. What the children are learning about this week?
F. Please could you collect empty toilet roll tubes for Mrs Cashmore
A. Willow Nursery School Ofsted Inspection 21st April 2023
As I am sure you are all aware we had Ofsted Inspectors here last week on Friday. They give very little notice, telephoning the school at 11:00am the day before to announce the visit. As we are a Maintained Nursery School, we are inspected under the schools framework in the same way as all primary and secondary schools. It was a very intense day.
At the end of the day the Inspectors gave feedback to Mrs Davies and Miss Howe as the school’s senior leaders, and Mr Hassall our Chair of Governors.
Their findings have to be Quality Assured before their findings are published on their website, which we have been told to be in about 30 days time.
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all your support. We were told that 26 parents completed the Parent View questionnaire (that is a good number for the size of our school!) and whilst we were not allowed to see the comments the lead inspector shared a few key words with us to show the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Your children were so very well behaved, and as always, lots of wonderful things were going on in the classroom.
We had two parent helpers here too, so I must give them a special mention, as those extra pairs of eyes made a big difference.
School governors were involved too. They talked very passionately and knowledgeably about the school.
We have been waiting 6 years for this inspection, our last was in 2017.
I will update you, when I am allowed to, but in the meantime as the Ofsted Inspector put it, the school will be operating with ‘Business as Usual’.
B. Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates. A reminder
I plan to leave this information in the newsletter for the next few weeks as there are a number of Bank Holidays coming up….
Monday 1st May 2023. Bank Holiday Monday, School Closed.
Monday 8th May 2023 Bank Holiday Monday for King’s Coronation, School Closed.
Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June 2023, Half Term Week, School Closed (29th May is a Bank Holiday)
Thursday 20th July 2023 will be the last day of term for all children. School opens for normal hours.
Friday 21st July 2023 school will be open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us. The session will be a morning only session from 8:50am to 11:50am
C. Strike Action
The National Education Union will be holding two more strike days. One this week on Thursday 27th April 2023, and one next week on Tuesday 2nd May. As I have outlined before Willow Nursery School plans to stay open on strike days.
D. Mrs Davies will be doing Jury Service. From Tuesday 9th May to Friday 19th May 2023
I have been asked to attend for Jury Service between the above dates. This two-week attendance is the minimum. Jurors may continue for longer, if their case continues. I will stay in close contact with the school staff, but I may not be contactable during the school day. Our Deputy Head teacher, Miss Clair Howe will run the school on a day to day basis in my absence.
There will be no ‘Nursery News’ newsletter on Monday 15th May.
E. What the children are learning about this week?
The theme in Little Nursery is keeping healthy.
In Catkins, the children will be trying their best to complete a mini obstacle course. There will be steps for the children to climb, tunnels for them to crawl through and a balance beam for them to walk across. This will build the children’s confidence as well as improve their movement skills.
In the link, Miss Gaffney will be showing the children how to brush their teeth, using a large scale brush and set of teeth. She will also provide paint, paper and sponges for the children to create a painting to represent a mouth. As the children work, Miss Gaffney will explain the importance of brushing our teeth twice daily.
In Room 3 Mrs Brinkley will be completing two shared reads with the children. The first will be How Do I Eat It? And the second will be I Care For My Teeth. She aims to teach the children how to look at books together and follow along with the words.
Outside, Mrs Watson will be developing movement with the children through encouraging them to ride bikes, kick balls, stretch their bodies and generally move around the playground in different ways.
The theme in Big Nursery is animals.
In Room 1, Mrs Patterson will have a pet shop set up for imaginative role play. There will be a variety of pets, pet beds and carriers, food bowls and other accessories available for the children. She will also provide the children with writing tools so that they are able to note down shopping lists and receipts as they play.
In Room 2, Miss Skai will support the children with exploring patterns and animal prints. They will have paints and images to help them copy their favourite animal patterns onto paper. Miss Skai will also show the children how to create their very own animals using paper plates and other materials.
Outside, Mrs Cashmore will be making animal print binoculars with the children. They will be asked to choose which animal print they like most and can decorate their binoculars with that pattern.
Miss Howe will be supporting the children to go on a word hunt around the garden. They will be asked to look for letters that they can piece together to make words that they have recently learned to spell.
F. Please could you collect empty toilet roll tubes for Mrs Cashmore
Mrs Cashmore would like to help children to make some pretend binoculars!
