Early Years

The Nethersole Church of England Academy Early Years Foundation Stage Aims –

• ensure that each child has a happy, positive and enjoyable start to their school life within a safe and secure environment.

• establish solid foundations and foster a deep love of learning.

• enable each child, through encouragement and high expectations, to develop socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually to thrive in a diverse and ever-changing world.

• to offer a broad and rich curriculum.

• encourage children to develop independence within a nurturing and supportive environment.

• support children to build relationships with their peers through the development of social skills such as cooperation and sharing.

• help each child to recognise their own strengths and achievements by experiencing success and developing their confidence to work towards personal goals.

• provide staff with ongoing career professional development to refine and extend the knowledge and skills needed to be successful EYFS practitioners.

Our EYFS lead is Mrs Satchell and our SENDCO is Miss Deakin.

Our Curriculum

In the EYFS, we aim to ensure that each child has a happy, positive, and enjoyable start to their school life within a nurturing, caring and supportive environment. We support children to establish solid foundations and to foster a deep love of learning. We provide themes that excite and engage children in their learning, building on own interests and developing their experiences of the world around them. Themes are supported by high quality and engaging texts which help to develop a love of reading for our children.

The curriculum reflects all seven areas of the EYFS framework and allows for children to demonstrate characteristics of effective learning through their play. Our curriculum has been carefully designed to ensure that there is clear progression of skills, knowledge and understanding throughout the EYFS and then into KS1. We recognise the importance of our locality and believe that it is essential that our children have a sense of belonging within their community. We plan lots of

opportunities for children to visit the local area and also invite visitors in throughout the year to extend the children’s knowledge and understanding of the different roles people play within our community.

By the end of the EYFS, we aim for our children to:

• have high aspirations.

• be inquisitive and curious about the world around them.

• have strong communication skills, both written and verbal.

• listen respectfully and with tolerance to the views of others.

• take pride in all that they do, always striving to do their best.

• demonstrate emotional resilience and the ability to persevere when they encounter challenge.

• develop a sense of self-awareness and become confident in their own abilities.

• be kind, respectful and honest, demonstrate inclusive attitudes and have a sense of their role in our wider society.

Transition into KS1

We recognise the importance of a smooth and successful transition for our children from EYFS into Year 1 and the impact that this can have on their wellbeing and attainment. Our two KS1 classrooms have been designed to ensure that children have access to continuous provision. Areas of provision allow children to practise previously learnt skills and to apply new learning through carefully planned tasks and activities. Resources provided in each area of provision allow for lots of possibilities for learning.

The Nethersole C of E Academy Nursery

Our nursery is organised into two different classes, Carle and Donaldson.

Carle class: 2-year-olds and rising 3s

Donaldson- Pre-school

Our Learning- Nursery

Reception

Anning is our Reception class.

Our Learning- Reception

Our Nursery Staff

Carle

Mrs Thorpe

Donaldson

Mrs Cope

Mrs Albrighton

Mrs Hicks

Anning

Miss Millington

Mrs Wardle

Parental Engagement

At The Nethersole C of E Academy, parental engagement is valued as a vital part of children’s success in the Early Years Foundation Stage. We work in partnership with families to build a warm, trusting and collaborative relationship from the very start. Through open communication, shared learning opportunities, and a welcoming environment, we ensure parents feel involved, respected and informed about their child’s development. By working together, we create a strong foundation where every child is supported, nurtured and able to thrive both in school and at home.

In Nursery, we host ‘Stay and Play’ sessions for parents and caregivers throughout the year. In addition to playing alongside their child, parents also have the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress and share any concerns with their child’s key worker.

In Reception, parents and caregivers are invited into the classroom to observe a Phonics being taught. They are also invited to attend a maths workshop with their child.

We are also fortunate to have a strong link with ‘Warwickshire Family Learning’. Throughout the year, parents are invited to attend workshops and courses including a ‘Winter’ workshop and ‘Number Explorers’.

Starting Reception- September 2026

Starting school is an exciting milestone, and we are delighted to welcome our new Reception children as they begin their learning journey with us. To help every child feel confident and ready for this next step, we offer a thoughtful transition programme that gently introduces families to school life. Parents are invited to informative welcome meetings, and children enjoy story sessions, stay-and-play opportunities, and our much‑loved Teddy Bears’ Picnic, where they can explore the environment and meet new friends in a relaxed, playful setting. Our caring staff support each child to settle in at their own pace, creating a joyful, inclusive atmosphere where they feel safe, valued, and eager to discover new things every day. Together with families, we look forward to helping every child grow, learn, and thrive in their first year of school.

To find out further information about how you can support your child with their transition to Reception, please see the ‘Starting Reception’ document below.

Nursery

Nursery fees

Fees for sessions over and above the free entitlement: £5.00 per hour.

Lunch time session: £5.00 (This includes a school meal).

Educational visits will be charged for separately.

Funding

Information about your funding entitlement is available at https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/childcarecosts.

The government funds the following early years entitlements for parents of young children:

• Families receiving some additional forms of government support, such as certain benefits or credits, may be eligible to access 15 hours of 2Help childcare per week for their 2-year-old.
• Eligible working parents of children from the age of 9 months can access 30 hours of childcare per week, known as the ‘expanded’ entitlement.
• All parents of 3 and 4-year-olds can access 15 hours of childcare per week, regardless of their immigration status or whether they are working.
• Eligible working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds can access an additional 15 hours of childcare, known as the ‘30 Hours or extended’ entitlement.
• All hours over your 15/30 free hours (where eligible) are chargeable. Charges will be made for sessions even when a child is absent through sickness or holiday.
• We deliver all free funded entitlement hours in two three hour sessions per day. For children staying all day, the lunch time session in between costs £5.00.
• Our fees and session times are subject to regular review by the school Governors.
• The universal funding of 15 free hours for all children from the term after their third birthday is claimed by nursery automatically. For all other funding, parents have to apply via HMRC online themselves and provide a code to nursery the term before their start date.
• For your convenience, we have online payment for nursery fees and school meals via Arbor. More information about how to sign up will be given when you start.
• An invoice will be issued monthly, in advance and all fees must be paid for monthly in advance, not arrears.
• We accept childcare vouchers from employers as well as payments via the government’s tax free childcare scheme.
• There is a wide variety of help with childcare costs available for working and non-working parents – you can visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for more information.