Our Pre-School
Your child is growing up fast and ready for a little more independence, our pre school will be a perfect introduction to school.
Our Nursery
Our approach to learning and teaching is through child centered play and education. We have a fully equipped nursery with age related rooms.
Why Orchard Lea Nursery & Preschool
At Orchard Lea Nursery & Preschool we are passionate about helping children get off to the best start in life. We understand that you want the very best for your child and we are committed to being a place that your child loves to come to, where they are celebrated and encouraged every step of their young lives.
We do this by providing a safe, happy and stimulating environment in which your child can have fun and fulfil their full potential whilst developing self-confidence and good moral values. When you browse through our nurseries you will find that they are carefully designed to provide education, care and continuity in a bright warm and friendly environment.
The Orchard Lea Approach
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework and Practice Guidance and the National Daycare Standards. The Statutory Framework and Practice Guidance was revised in April 2017. It sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five.
The Development Matters in the EYFS (our curriculum) focuses on 7 areas of learning and development – 3 prime areas (fundamental, work together and move through to support development in all other areas) and 4 specific (essential skills and knowledge for children to participate successfully in society).
- 3 Prime Areas:
- Communication & Language,
- Physical Development,
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- 4 Specific Areas:
- Literature,
- Mathematics,
- Understanding of the World,
- Expressive Arts and Design.
This curriculum also draws attention to the ways in which children’s learning and development is underpinned through their engagement with other people and the environment, known as the Characteristics of Effective Learning – playing and exploring (engagement), active learning (motivation) and creativity and critical thinking (thinking).
At Orchard Lea Nursery In Kingswood we also track the children using the Bristol Early Years Emotional Wellbeing characteristic strand which was developed in Bristol and was published in April 2017. This additional strand includes ways in which children show emotional literacy, being connected (attachment) and demonstrate positive self-esteem and self-worth.
The above information can be found at www.foundationyears.org.uk and www.education.gov.uk
Our Aims
At Orchard Lea we aim to promote all-round development, intellectual, physical, emotional and social, in a safe and nurturing environment filled with exciting activities and friendly staff. Our unique program for your child is based on their particular stage of development with careful observations. Having a curriculum from birth provides us with the guidance to extend a child’s learning through fun and creative play that is tailored to meet their individual needs.
We have the following aims:
- To provide a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment that welcomes and supports all children and their families in our community.
- To promote social and intellectual development of every child in our care through the provision of broad and balanced Nursery curriculum that has the flexibility to use planned and spontaneous activities.
- To provide opportunities which match or can be differeniated to enable children to gain confidence in their own abilities and to become independent and motivated learners.
- To value and support staff and students ensuring that individual skills and knowledge is appropriate and valid whilst giving each the opportunity to develop their lifelong learning.
- To establish and maintain close links between our families, Nursery and the community, including the local Children’s centre. To work in partnership with Parents/Carers/Families, outside agencies, specialist services and government bodies.
Assessments
We use an online application or app to monitor and record the children’s routine and development at nursery. The monitoring app keeps a detailed record of a child’s learning including observations made at Nursery with photographs, pictures, mark making and creations from them. Parents are able to download the app and access and contribute to the information that we record. The aim is for this app to support, not replace verbal communication between nursery and home and vice versa.
Under two’s also use the app to record each child’s routine such as meals, sleeps, nappy changes, bottle feeds. These two-way communication tools help us to get a fuller understanding of their interests and needs and we hope that you enjoy contributing to them too.
Parents/carers and professionals can arrange informal discussions or more formal meetings to discuss the needs of the children and families we support. We do not hold formal parent evenings but prefer to have a more adaptable approach by offering informal meetings, as and when and if needed, with parents/carers at mutually convenient times. We arrange home visits as part of the induction and settling in sessions and also when there has been a change to family circumstances which may have an affect on a child’s wellbeing.
If a concern about a child’s development, wellbeing or participation is identified by staff, family or other professional we follow a staged approach which is detailed in our Special Educational Needs and Disability policy (available on request). Regular reviews are held with families and professionals for children with additional needs to ensure that plans are in place and targets are updated and matched to suit and meet the individual child’s learning, development and needs.
Childrens Groups at Orchard Lea
Under 2’s at Orchard Lea
Duckling Room
The Baby room accommodates babies from 3-18 months and a 1:3 staff:child ratio, 9 -15 children
Tiger Room
The Tiger group caters for children between the ages of 18 months – 2 years 1:3 staff:child ratio, 9 -15 children
Over 2’s at Orchard Lea
Butterfly Group
The Butterfly group caters for children from 2-3 years 1:4 staff:child ratio, 20 children.
Over 3’s at Orchard Lea
Our Children
Our SEND, Local Offer and Safeguarding
We provide equal opportunities for all our children and families from the outset and until a child leaves us. However in line with the new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) code of practice: 0 to 25 years we need to specify information on provision, pathways to services and support you can expect to be available for children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilites with or without Education Health and Care plans (this is known as our Local Offer):
- Regular observations, assessments and reviews to monitor and record development
- Early identification and support for children with additional needs
- Adapting the curriculum to suit and meet the needs of individual children
- Having well established two-way communication systems in place
- An inclusive setting which is accessible and well planned with improvements made to the auditory and visual environment
- Keeping the child the central focus and ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are protected
- A good reputation for excellent support and work with children and families
- Positive feedback from families and teachers following transition to school
- A vast wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience which enables us to support children and their families
- On-going training for designated staff to provide a continued level of support
- Seeking training for key staff as appropriate to support children’s needs
- In-house training to cascade knowledge on diversity and inclusion
- Access to and good links with outside agencies, specialist services and expertise
- Open door policy for parents/carers, families and outside agencies to visit, observe, work or spend time with the children
- Regular reviews of plans which include child, family and other professionals
If we have not mentioned or listed something here which you would like to discuss please come and talk to us so that we can see what we can do for you and your child.
Safeguarding Leads:
Laura Day and Sarah Coombs are the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) in our Kingswood Nursery and Tracey Penny is the DSL in our Keynsham Nursery. Nathan George is our e-safety officer for both settings.
