The Nursery opens its doors early to welcome the children, and the fun begins with some free-flow play until we settle down to breakfast at 9:00am. Then it is time for our morning walk around the grounds, where we like to observe the ever-changing environment. This is when many of our babies tend to have a little sleep.
When we get back, around 10:00am, we either get creative with art materials or explore some exciting sensory activities. At 11:00am, we have a small group time, where we look at our chosen book and do some singing and signing until everything stops for lunch at 11:40am.
Our afternoons resume with quiet time and sharing books until we welcome new arrivals at 12:30pm. Puzzles, games and construction fill the time, as well as playtime in the outdoor area.
At 3:00pm, we have a picnic of healthy finger food snacks and then it is time for more play. This usually involves listening to and making music, dancing, and building on our gross-motor skills using the wooden walkers and large bouncy balls.
From about 4:00pm, the sleep room is transformed into a sensory room, complete with lights, mirrors, bubbles, scarves and more. The babies love to explore until they are collected for home time, any time up to 5:30pm.
TIME |
MONDAY |
TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
THURSDAY |
FRIDAY |
07:30 – 08:30 | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club |
08:40 – 09:15 | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast |
09:30 – 10:00 | Walk around the school grounds & nap time | Walk around the school grounds & nap time | Walk around the school grounds & nap time | Walk around the school grounds & nap time | Walk around the school grounds & nap time |
10:00 – 10:30 | Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor |
10:30 – 11:20 | Activity time
Sensory play |
Activity time
Sensory play |
Activity time
Sensory play |
Activity time
Sensory play |
Activity time
Sensory play |
11:20 – 11:30 | Sing & Sign | Sing & Sign | Sing & Sign | Sing & Sign | Sing & Sign |
12:30 – 14:00 | Sleep/quiet time | Sleep/quiet time | Sleep/quiet time | Sleep/quiet time | Sleep/quiet time |
14:00 – 14:30 | Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor |
14:30 – 15:15 | Art time
Outside play Music time |
Art time
Outside play Music time |
Sensory play
Outside play Music time |
Art time
Outside play Music time |
Art time
Outside play Music time |
15:30 – 16:00 | Snack time | Snack time | Snack time | Snack time | Snack time |
16:00 – 17:30 | Late club
In and outdoor play |
Late club
In and outdoor play |
Late club
In and outdoor play |
Late club
In and outdoor play |
Late club
In and outdoor play |
Our Nursery opens nice and early from 7:30am, when parents have a chance to chat with Nursery staff and the children begin their morning with a variety of free-play activities.
Following registration, children say ‘Good Morning’ and share their news. At 9:15am, the children indulge in a healthy snack before structured activity time, outside play or a lovely walk around the grounds. At 11:00am, it is time for ‘Sing and Sign,’ before sitting down for a delicious and nutritious lunch. This is followed by naptime in the Sleep Room, with soft lighting and relaxing music.
At 12:30pm, we welcome our friends who join us for the afternoon. We enjoy quiet time, which involves sharing books and playing in small groups with puzzles, construction and small world. It is then time to expel some more energy outside or join in with a planned activity.
At 3:15pm, it is time for another delicious snack, followed by indoor and outdoor play before the children start going home.
TIME |
MONDAY |
TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
THURSDAY |
FRIDAY |
07:30 – 08:00 | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club |
08:15 – 09:15 | Free play indoor/outdoor | Free play indoor/outdoor | Free play indoor/outdoor | Free play indoor/outdoor | Free play indoor/outdoor |
09:15 – 10:00 | Morning snack | Morning snack | Morning snack | Morning snack | Morning snack |
10:00 – 10:30 | Dance & music | Outside play | Walk around school/forest area | Sensory play | Art activity |
10:30 – 11:00 | Outside play | Art activity | Sensory play | Dance & music | Outside play |
11:00 – 11:45 | Sing & Sign | Sing & Sign | Sing & Sign | Sing & Sign | Sing & Sign |
12:30 – 14:30 | Nap/quiet time | Nap/quiet time | Nap/quiet time | Nap/quiet time | Nap/quiet time |
14:30 – 15:15 | Art activity | Outside play/Welly walk | Dance & music | Outside play/Welly walk | Puzzles & stories |
15:15 – 15:30 | Afternoon snack | Afternoon snack | Afternoon snack | Afternoon snack | Afternoon snack |
15:30 – 16:00 | Puzzles & stories | Dance & music | Art activity | Puzzles & stories | Sensory play |
16:00 – 17:30 | Free play indoor/outdoor & home time | Free play indoor/outdoor & home time | Free play indoor/outdoor & home time | Free play indoor/outdoor & home time | Free play indoor/outdoor & home time |
Mornings begin from 7.30am for those families who need an early drop off, with our other friends joining the room for a healthy morning snack until 9.00am. Once everyone is together on the carpet, the children take time to share news with their friends, before moving into key group time. Morning activities may also be designed around our book of the week, and the children move freely around the areas choosing what they wish to join in with – whether this be indoors or out, adult-led, child-led, creative, physical, role play, sensory, mark making or heuristic.
At 11.00am, the children come together again to sing before going outside for a play on the bikes and trikes. Lunch is served to the children in the Pre-Prep Hall at 11.30am. Our nutritious lunch is brought to us from the senior school Dining Hall, where it is prepared daily with dietary requirements being catered for.
The afternoon then begins with either sleep time or quiet, child-led, free-flow activities, both inside and out. At 3.00pm, all the children join together again to listen to our book of the week. The children then enjoy turn-taking games and free play before being collected at the end of the day by 5.30pm.
Throughout our week, specialist teachers who support us in both French and Dance join us. The children also have the opportunity to swim in the pool with specialist swim coaches, if they have made the transition to wearing pants.
TIME |
MONDAY |
TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
THURSDAY |
FRIDAY |
07:30 – 08:00 | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club |
08:15 – 09:00 | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play
08:45-09:15 Swimming/ Forest School |
09:00 – 09:05 | Wake Up, Shake Up | Wake Up, Shake Up | Wake Up, Shake Up | Wake Up, Shake Up | |
09:05 – 09:15 | Morning Carpet, Weather & News | Morning Carpet, Weather & News | Morning Carpet, Weather & News | Morning Carpet, Weather & News | |
09:15 – 09:30 | Small group time with key person | Small group time with key person | Small group time with key person | Small group time with key person | Small group time with key person |
09:30 – 10:55 | Musical Moments
Sports Creative Activities |
Yoga
Creative Activities Outdoor Pursuits |
What’s in the Bag?
Creative Activities Outdoor Pursuits |
Play Dough Disco
Creative Activities Outdoor Pursuits |
Silly Soup
Creative Activities Outdoor Pursuits |
11:00 – 11:15 | Song time | Song time | Song time | French with Madame Ashmore | Song time |
11:15 – 11:30 | Playground bikes | Playground bikes | Playground bikes | Playground bikes | Playground bikes |
12:30 – 14:30 | Nap/quiet time | Nap/quiet time | Nap/quiet time | Nap/quiet time | Nap/quiet time |
12:30 – 15:00 | Child-led learning. Free play indoor/outdoor | Child-led learning. Free play indoor/outdoor |
Free play indoor/outdoor
14:30-15:15 Dance with Miss Hartland-Mann Story time |
Child-led learning. Free play indoor/outdoor | Child-led learning. Free play indoor/outdoor |
15:00 – 15:15 | Story time | Story time | Story time | Story time | |
15:15 – 16:00 | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play |
16:00 – 17:00 | Turn-Taking Games | Turn-Taking Games | Turn-Taking Games | Turn-Taking Games | Turn-Taking Games |
17:00 – 17:30 | Quiet room play & home time | Quiet room play & home time | Quiet room play & home time | Quiet room play & home time | Quiet room play & home time |
The fun starts bright and early from 7:30am as we welcome our Early Club children into Nursery 4. After a short play in our quiet room, we are able to have a morning snack with our friends before moving into the main room to do our self-registration. Once we have all arrived, we sing our ‘good morning’ and calendar songs, and discuss our morning timetable. We also love to share our news.
At about 9:15am we have some group time with our key person to do fun, challenging activities. After group time, the morning is spent exploring and learning both inside and outside. By 11:00am, we are all tidy and ready to practise our sounds. We follow the Read, Write Inc. programme, and learn one sound a week through fun, practical games. At 11:45am, Nursery 4 walk to the school dining hall and have a delicious cooked lunch and pudding.
The afternoon begins at 12:30pm. We discuss our afternoon timetable and have number or shape focus time. We can then enjoy the bikes, the pirate ship, our back garden or the forest school. We enjoy free play through the nursery again until 3pm, when we have a healthy snack, followed by listening to our book of the week. We then enjoy a final free play before being collected by 5:30pm.
Nursery 4 enjoys many specialist teachers throughout the week. On Monday mornings, we are joined for singing by our Prep School Head of Music, Mrs Hornsby, followed by swimming in the afternoon. Tuesday brings Madame Ashmore who teaches us French, and on a Wednesday we have a dance teacher show us dance routines. On a Thursday, we go to the Prep Sports Hall with specialist sports teachers to help develop our physical skills. We have a second swimming session on Friday morning, as well as an extra-curricular activity.
The children have a very busy and varied week, with plenty of activities to take part in.
TIME |
MONDAY |
TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
THURSDAY |
FRIDAY |
07:30 – 08:00 | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club | Early morning club |
08:00 – 08:20 | Free Play
Self-Registration |
Free Play
Self-Registration |
Free Play
Self-Registration |
Free Play
Self-Registration |
Free Play
Self-Registration |
08:20 – 08:30 | Wake Up,
Shake Up |
Wake Up,
Shake Up |
Wake Up,
Shake Up |
||
08:30 – 09:00 | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play | Rolling snack & free play |
09:00 – 09:15 | Singing with Mrs Hornsby | Morning Carpet
Welcome song, calendar & news, visual timetable |
Morning Carpet
Welcome song, calendar & news, visual timetable |
Morning Carpet
Welcome song, calendar & news, visual timetable |
09:00-09:35
Swimming |
09:15 – 09:30 | Adult-led learning group time planned from observations & next steps | Adult-led learning group time planned from observations & next steps | Adult-led learning group time planned from observations & next steps | Adult-led learning group time planned from observations & next steps | |
09:30 – 11:10 | Child-led learning.
Free-flow continuous play provision |
Child-led learning.
Free-flow continuous play provision 09:40 French with Madame Ashmore |
Child-led learning.
Free-flow continuous play provision 09:45 Dance with Miss Hartland |
Child-led learning.
Free-flow continuous play provision 10:50-11:20 PE |
Child-led learning.
Free-flow continuous play provision |
11:10 – 11:25 | Read, Write, Inc. Phonics | Read, Write, Inc. Phonics | Read, Write, Inc. Phonics | Read, Write, Inc. Phonics | |
12:30 – 12:45 | Afternoon carpet time, visual timetable & story | Afternoon carpet time, visual timetable & story | Afternoon carpet time, visual timetable & story | Afternoon carpet time, visual timetable & story | Afternoon carpet time, visual timetable & story |
12:45 – 13:15 | Forest Area | Pirate Ship | Playground Bikes | Forest Area | Pirate Ship |
13:15 – 15:15 | 13:55-14:30
Swimming |
Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision | Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision | Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision | Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision |
15:15 – 16:15 | Snack & chat, book of the week & quiet room play | Snack & chat, book of the week & quiet room play | Snack & chat, book of the week & quiet room play | Snack & chat, book of the week & quiet room play | Snack & chat, book of the week & quiet room play |
16:15 – 17:00 | Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision | Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision | Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision | Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision | Child-led learning Free-flow continuous play provision |
17:00 – 17:30 | Quiet room play & home time | Quiet room play & home time | Quiet room play & home time | Quiet room play & home time | Quiet room play & home time |
Your little ones are well fed and watered throughout the day in the Nursery, to ensure they have plenty of energy for fun activities and learning.
During the mid-morning break they enjoy a snack of fresh fruit or vegetables, plus milk or water. And when it’s time for lunch, a delicious and nutritious choice of hot or cold meals is available at 11.45am.
Children who spend all day with us, or arrive for an afternoon session, also enjoy a light tea consisting of a savoury snack, fruit and a drink to keep energy levels up.
Lunch and snack times are not only a great opportunity for your child to eat with their friends (under staff supervision of course), but also to interact with Nursery staff and develop essential social skills.
Taunton School recognises, understands, and caters for special diets and food allergies for individual children. All meals are freshly prepared and cooked in-house, and we keep an allergen register which is updated regularly. Fresh fruit is available at every service, and a comprehensive salad bar available at every meal time.