Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not currently running Nursery tours but our video presentation provides a fantastic overview of our provision. If you have any further queries, please ring us on 01438-359747 

                                                                             

Introduction

 

At The Giles’ Nursery we provide parents and carers with the best possible educational start for their child.   For the last five years our Early Years has been judged to be ‘outstanding in all areas’ in external inspections, most recently by Hertfordshire County Council in November 2020. Our ethos is one of aspiration and high achievement and our values, which you can read on our “about us” page, underpin all that we do.   Central to our approach is an expectation that we will work in partnership with our parents and carers so that:

 

• we meet the individual needs of each and every child
• each child makes excellent and rapid progress, whatever their starting point
• we provide an inclusive, rich and stimulating environment so each child can play, develop and learn in a happy, safe and creative way
• we meet the individual needs of each and every child
• each child makes excellent and rapid progress, whatever their starting point
• we provide an inclusive, rich and stimulating environment so each child can play, develop and  learn in a happy, safe and creative way.

 

Our approach to learning

We offer a loving and nurturing environment that allows our creative skills-based approach to learning to flourish.  This approach is a holistic one and develops early literacy, numeracy and scientific investigative skills in an engaging and cross-curricular way. This means that in Nursery your child will enjoy and benefit from the emphasis we place on:

 

• learning through engagement - role play is a key learning tool that helps our children develop their communication and language skills, their ability to socialise and interact with others, their confidence and their personal and emotional skills
• adopting a topic based approach to learning - we choose topics so they appeal and are inclusive to all children; they enable pupils to develop their understanding of the world, their scientific investigative skills and how they express themselves through the arts and design
• challenge - we provide activities that engage our children in developing problem-solving skills that will foster resilience and team-working, extend thinking and provide early opportunities for sustained thinking and reasoning skills
• enrichment - our light and spacious Nursery classrooms contain flexible activity zones that facilitate learning; for example music-making, phonics learning, scientific investigation, celebrations of our local community and its diversity and IT skills development
• extending learning beyond the classroom - our outdoor Nursery areas are well-resourced, weather-proof and fun! In addition to a well equipped outside, secure playground there are large canopied areas allowing all-year-round learning with special role-play areas, sand and water. We have a wonderful Sensory Garden where children can dig and plant a variety of herbs, flowers and plants. We have also created an 'Enchanted Garden' for Nursery pupils right next to our 'Eco-area', which is panted with natural and native plants. As well as the extensive outdoor resources outlined above, our Nursery benefits indoors from excellent facilities to support our children's learning, including a computer bank to enable IT skills development, a range of musical instruments, arts and craft resources, and an interactive whiteboard. 

   

 

In 2016 we achieved the last stage of the HQS (Herts Quality Standard), a kitemark for outstanding practice in Early Years. 

 

Our staff team

We place great value on having highly qualified, experienced Nursery Nurses and a professional staff team in our Nursery.  Children who attend The Giles Nursery benefit also from the higher than average staff : pupil ratio that we are able to provide.  This means that:

• each child is exceptionally well supported to achieve their early learning goals
• a smaller number than usual in pupil groups can participate in a wider variety of activities at any one time
• progress is closely and regularly monitored and assessed with any interventions specifically designed and targeted to meet individual needs
   

It also means that for those children who have special educational needs we are able to provide high-quality, consistent and often one-to-one support throughout the Nursery stage. 

     

At the end of the Nursery stage, children who are entering our Reception in The Giles Infants’ School are assured of a smooth transition.   We take pride in the level of support we provide at this crucial stage of our children’s development. During the summer term Nursery pupils spend time in the Reception classrooms, getting to know the staff – many of whom are qualified Nursery Nurses – as well as the physical layout and play areas of our lovely, well-resourced Reception building and gardens. Our Nursery and Reception staff also meet together to discuss in detail the progress, attainment and achievement of each child to ensure their needs continue to be net on an individual basis on entering Reception.  

 

Parental engagement

We place great value on our relationship with our parents and carers, whose involvement is critical to our pupils’ learning and achievement.  As well as having an ‘open door’ policy, we actively engage parents and carers in many different ways, for example, through:

 

• stay-and-play sessions
• curriculum talks, discussions and presentations
• 'home-to-school work' such as sending mathematics bags, rhyming rings, books home to enhance learning with a parent or carer at home
• Parent-Teacher consultations.   

    

     

 

We believe it important that we communicate with parents and carers at every stage of their child’s development and we know that parents value this highly.  Nursery parents/carers have said:

 

"Our child has had a wonderful experience in Nursery. We are very pleased with her amazing progress and couldn’t think of a nicer place for her to go and learn and make friends. Thank you."
 

"I’m really happy with all the staff at nursery. I’m so pleased with how my child has progressed. Thank you for your help – my child is very happy."

 

"We would like to thank all of the Nursery staff for supporting and encouraging our child during his time in the Nursery. He has always enjoyed being in Nursery and we have enjoyed spending time with him at the Stay-and-Play sessions, Easter activities and Pirates Fun Day. The Nursery is a lovely environment and all the staff have always been welcoming, approachable and caring. We couldn’t have asked for anything more for him."

 

Nursery sessions

 

The Giles Nursery and Infants' School has a splendid purpose-built nursery. All children from the term after they are three are entitled to 15 hours of free early education for 38 weeks per year until they start full-time school usually after their fourth birthday.

 

We are able to offer:

 

• 60 morning places, five mornings a week for 38 weeks a year (15 hours a week)
• 60 afternoon places, five mornings a week for 38 weeks a year (15 hours a week)

 

Under the government’s ‘30 hours free childcare’ scheme we are able to offer extended 30 hours free provision to eligible parents as part of the above 60 morning/60 afternoon allocation. Such offers are always subject to availability and for term-time only. To see if you qualify for this scheme please visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

If you find you are not eligible but would like to purchase extra sessions, this will be possible subject to place availability.

Morning Sessions: Start at 8:30am and ends at 11:30am
Afternoon Sessions: Start at 12:30pm and ends at 3:30pm

 

We also offer a lunch club from 11.30am to 12.30pm which is included under the 30 hours’ free provision; for 15 hours’ only pupils there is a small charge per session to cover our additional costs. This must be booked in advance and children will need to bring a packed lunch with them from home. Further details can be found on our 'Nursery Sessions and 30 hours' scheme' page. 

 

You can download an Application Form from our ‘Nursery Admissions’ page or request one from our main school office (telephone 01438-359747).

 

You can submit your application at any time - we offer places on a first come, first served basis. Please visit our general 'Admissions' page for more information and details of our Admission Arrangements.