Little Hoots Nursery
At Little Hoots Nursery, we believe every child deserves the very best start to their learning journey. We provide a happy, safe and nurturing environment where children feel welcome, valued and excited to learn, play and explore.
Our Nursery Teachers, Ms Baylis and Mrs Cadogan, are supported by Miss O’Brien and Miss Ault. Together, our friendly and experienced team is dedicated to getting to know every child as an individual, helping them feel happy, confident and secure. We get to know each child as an individual and work in partnership with families to support their happiness, development and learning.
Through fun, purposeful and child-led play, children have lots of opportunities to develop their skills through curiosity and discovery. From sharing stories and getting creative to outdoor adventures, exploring numbers and developing early language skills, every day brings something new and exciting!
We are dedicated to helping every child grow in confidence, develop independence, build friendships and to develop a lifelong love of learning.
Little Hoots
Overviews
Our annual plan provides a variety of exciting learning experiences throughout the year, supporting children's development through play, exploration and discovery. Carefully planned around children's interests and needs, our curriculum encourages curiosity, creativity and confidence while developing key skills across all areas of learning.
Our plans are flexible and responsive, allowing us to follow children's interests and ensure learning is always fun, meaningful and engaging.
Our termly overviews give families a snapshot of the exciting learning taking place in Nursery each term. They outline our main topics, key activities, and the skills children will be developing through play, exploration, and creative experiences. These overviews help parents see how learning develops across the term and how they can support their child at home.
Reading
“Children are made readers in the laps of their parents and carers.” – Emilie Buchwald
Sharing books and stories with your child from an early age is one of the most valuable ways to support their learning and development. Just 10 minutes of reading together each day can make a real difference, helping children develop their language, listening skills, imagination and confidence, while creating special moments to enjoy together.
At Little Hoots, we encourage a love of books and stories and believe that reading should be an enjoyable part of everyday life. By sharing stories at home, you can help spark your child's curiosity and build a strong foundation for their future learning.
Here are some useful resources to help you enjoy reading together and encourage a lifelong love of books:
Making Time for Books at HomeFind helpful tips and ideas from BBC CBeebies on making reading a fun part of family life.
Book Trust's list of the best books for 0-5 year oldsDiscover a wonderful selection of books to share with your little one, from favourite stories to new adventures.
For Top Tips on how fostering a love of reading, have a look at this document produced by Book Trust
Bookstart Reading with your Child
Phonics
In Little Hoots we follow the School's phonic scheme - Twinkl Phonics. Pre-School and Nursery Phonics focuses on pre-reading skills. These include speaking and listening skills, being able to distinguish the sounds they hear, and patterns of speech and speech sounds. Level One Phonics is split into seven aspects, we plan large and small group activities to support the children in practicing skills from each aspect.
Tapestry
At our Nursery, we use Tapestry, a secure online learning journal, to record and celebrate children’s learning and development. Our staff regularly upload photos, observations, and short notes to share the activities children have been enjoying and the progress they are making.
When your child starts Nursery, you will be provided with login details for Tapestry, allowing you to access your child’s learning journal through the app or website. This enables you to see special moments from their Nursery day and stay connected to their learning and development.
Parents and carers are also encouraged to share their own photos, comments, and achievements from home. This helps us build a fuller picture of each child’s experiences and strengthens the partnership between home and Nursery as we support every child’s learning journey.
New Starters
We are delighted to welcome new children and families to Little Hoots. Starting Nursery is an exciting milestone, and we work closely with parents and carers to ensure that each child settles in happily and confidently.
Before your child begins, you will receive our 'Welcome to Little Hoots' booklet, which contains important information about daily routines, what your child will need to bring, attendance and how we support children during their first few weeks.
Our staff are always happy to answer any questions and support families during this transition. We look forward to getting to know you and your child as they begin their journey with us.
Attendance
Children attending the nursery are expected to be present for all sessions that have been booked. Regular attendance is essential to support children’s learning, development, and routine. Where a child is persistently absent without valid reason, the school may be required to review the child’s nursery place. Continued failure to attend booked sessions may result in the withdrawal of funded hours, in line with local authority and national early years funding guidance.
Parents and carers are expected to inform the school of any absence as early as possible on the day of the session. Absences should only occur for legitimate reasons such as illness, medical appointments, or exceptional family circumstances.
Attendance Following Vaccinations
For health and safety reasons, children must not attend nursery on the day or the day immediately following receipt of vaccinations. Recently vaccinated children may require close monitoring for potential side effects, such as fever or discomfort, and the nursery environment is not suitable for this level of individual observation. Children may return once they are well and no longer require enhanced monitoring at home.
Meals and Snacks
At Little Hoots we offer a morning snack of milk and fruit or water. Children are encouraged to use tongs to take their snacks and pour their own drinks. Adults always sit at the table with the children to encourage a happy, safe mealtime.
For lunch parents and carers can order a meal from the kitchen for their child. This can be done on Parent Pay the week before. Otherwise we ask parents and carers to provide a healthy, balanced packed lunch for their child, containing a variety of nutritious foods to support their growth and development.
All packed lunches should be prepared, stored and transported in accordance with Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance to ensure food is safe and suitable for young children. We ask that lunchboxes are clearly labelled with your child's name and that foods requiring refrigeration are kept cool using an insulated lunch bag and ice pack.
Please ensure food is appropriate for your child's age and stage of development, with particular care taken to reduce choking risks. Grapes and cherry tomatoes should be cut lengthways into quarters, hard fruits and vegetables prepared appropriately, and all bones, stones and pips removed. Whole nuts, popcorn and hard sweets should not be included.
Please ensure that any allergies or dietary requirements are shared with the nursery team so that we can take the necessary precautions to keep all children safe.
Early Years Food Safety Advice
Early Years Food Hazard Choking Table
Useful Websites
Simple fun activities for children from newborn to five
https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/
Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child's communication skills. Explore our simple activities and play ideas and find out about their amazing early development
https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people
Top-tips, online books and activities to support early reading
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/
Support with potty training
The Potty Training Guide - Learners from Birth
