Croydon High Nursery School
What makes Nursery special?
“I really feel the teachers know
and care about her”
—parent survey
From her very first day in Nursery our girls are treated as individuals. The relationships they develop with staff are crucial and all our staff know each girl, her likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses and plan teaching opportunities that suit each and every one.
Today I started my thesis
Reading, writing and mathematics feature alongside the traditional Early Years Curriculum in our Nursery. Interestingly, many of the preparations for early writing do not actually involve paper or pencils. Staff help girls develop gross and fine motor skills, using ribbons and our CleverTouch interactive boards for large circular movements and threading and pincering for small control. Recently, Nursery girls have been practising their fine motor skills by using screws to mend their spaceship!
Afreen is just one of our very youngest girls discovering the joy of seeing her words come to life on the page. But the best preparation for her future University thesis, is actually the hours we will pour into developing her self-confidence and passion for learning. From Nursery up, our specialist Drama teacher works with every girl, building the skills that see them speak aloud assuredly in a group. Our current affairs assemblies throughout Junior School also ensure our girls have interesting things to talk about, developing an understanding of the world beyond their playground.
“I remember painting our canvas with all the class. That painting is now in the hall”
—Reception pupil talking about her memories from Nursery
Our staff combine the child centred approach of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum with a phonics and number programme that ensure girls are encouraged to achieve beyond age expectations. Many of our girls begin on our reading programme whilst still in our Nursery Class.
“Our girls are bursting with potential and it is a privilege to help them explore and develop to become life-long learners.”
—Mrs Amanda D’Aranjo, Head of Early Years Foundation Stage
Our girls are given opportunities to develop confidence right from Nursery. Specialist teaching in Music, Drama, PE and Computer Science from 3 years old enables them to learn cognitive and performance skills at a very young age. After only ten weeks with us our Nursery girls perform alongside Reception in their Nativity Play in front of an audience. With daily opportunities to tell their news, share their ideas and articulate their needs, our young girls know that their voice will be heard.