Getting ready for nursery school
We find ourselves in challenging times at the moment and for as much as we are trying to offer 'business as usual' it is not possible for us to operate our usual transition programme of home visits, new parent meetings and Stay and Play sessions for the children due to join us.
All schools and nursery settings are having to adjust the ways in which they normally support children as they begin nursery but we want to assure you that we are committed to doing all that we can to ensure that your child has a successful transition into our nursery.
When the new term begins, children will be joining us with a range of previous experiences:
- Some will be familiar with the nursery as they currently attend Batford Day Care, or have had an older sibling with us in the past
- Some will be transferring from another setting
- Some will be coming straight from home
but do take a look at the documents below and take part in some of the suggested activities with your child - there is something for everyone. We hope these will support you and your child to feel ready for joining us in September.
If we come across other documents we feel will be of interest, we will add these to the website, so do check back occasionally.
If, having attended our new parents' remote meeting, or having looked at the 'Welcome' PowerPoint presentation, you have further questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch - either by email to admin@batfordnursery.herts.sch.uk or telephone between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Thursday, on 01582 713872.
Our core mission is to build strong foundations for our children and this means getting them off to the best possible start. When the children join us, our main focus will be on settling them in to Batford Nursery and making sure their nursery experience is a happy one - happy children become confident and successful learners.
When it is time to start nursery:
- Don’t worry if your child is tearful and clingy for the first few days – it’s quite normal. Whilst many children settle into school life easily, others take a little longer. Although you might feel terrible leaving them, they will most likely be playing quite happily within a few minutes.
- If your child seems exhausted at the end of the day, let them have some quiet time when they get home. If they’re starving hungry, a healthy snack and drink can help restore energy levels.
- Let your child get used to school life before introducing additional activities in the day.
- Keep talking to your child about their feelings about school, and put aside some special time to chat about their day.
- And don't forget to communicate with us too!
We can't wait to welcome you to Batford Nursery School and look forward to meeting you.
Top tips to prepare your child for starting nursery
Talk about starting school
- What do you think it will be like?
- What are you looking forward to?
- Is there anything you feel unsure about?
- When I was at school, I loved ...
Read together books about starting school
- See the book list in our documents list
Take a walk past the school one day and talk about the journey to school
Developing independence and managing self-care
- Get your child into the habit of hanging their coat up,
putting their toys away, clearing the table, etc
to prepare them for doing these things at school. - Help your child to be confident about getting to the loo in time,wiping properly, flushing and washing their hands.
- Being able to blow their nose into a tissue is another useful skill.
Be prepared
- You will find your child is tired when they start nursery and will need at least 12 hours' sleep each night.
- Try to make a routine for getting up, going to bed, mealtimes and family time.