Lower Wortley Primary School

Each day, we ask a Question of the Day which is discussed during snack time using a circle time approach. This helps develop children's communication, language, and confidence in sharing ideas with their peers. We also set aside time for children to share their own news, which supports active listening and speaking in a group setting.  Each week, a Talk Ticket is uploaded to SCHOOP, linked to the nursery theme. These are discussion prompts for families to explore at home, and children will be encouraged to share their thoughts back in nursery.  During the first term, children will also:

-Listen to a variety of stories

-Take part in small group games

-Engage in structured activities to develop communication, interaction, and listening skills.

 

This term focuses on helping children settle into the nursery environment, with an emphasis on establishing clear routines and rules using a visual timetable.  Children are introduced to the positive behaviour strategies used in nursery, including:

-Super Star Chart

-Star of the Day

-Becoming an ‘Achievosaur’

Two of the achievosaurs are linked to our curriculum drivers of Ambition – Challenge Rex and Resilience - Triatops.  Citizenship is linked to our -Super Citizen character.

In addition,  healthy choices are promoted through snack time and a dedicated Healthy Week.

Self-care is also a key focus this term. We will support children in developing skills such as:

-Becoming independent with toileting

-Washing their hands

-Putting on coats

-Talking about how they care for their teeth at home.

 

This term, we will introduce children to our climbing equipment, outdoor play spaces, and wheeled toys.  Our fine and gross motor development activities include:

-Dough Disco and Squiggle While You Wiggle sessions

-Weekly Funky Fingers challenges

-Using ribbon sticks, hoops, threading beads, peg boards

-Writing in crazy foam, tracing tactile letters, using the interactive whiteboard, and picking up small items with tweezers

-Cosmic Yoga and movement play

Children will also take part in a sponsored obstacle course, followed by the opportunity to design their own!

The settings is established with a wide range of mark-making tools, such as crayons, chalks, paint brushes, pencils and felt tips, to encourage writing through play.

Mark-making opportunities are also available in the Home Corner and themed role-play areas (e.g., doctors, firefighters). Activities will include writing invitations, gift tags and birthday cards.  In addition the children will also be:

-Introduced to phonics through fun and engaging activities

-Fostering a language-rich environment

-learning to recognise and write their names using personal name cards (available at nursery and at home)

-Using letter formation rhymes to support early writing skills.

 

We enjoy daily story time and will begin the Talk for Writing approach with ‘Incy Wincy Spider.’
This half term's nursery rhyme is ‘Miss Polly Had a Dolly.’ Children will be able to take rhyme bags home and can choose one book each week from our Nursery Library.

Children will explore shape and space through hands-on activities in areas such as the malleable table, water tray, and construction area. Activities include:

-Pouring, filling, and building

-Matching toys to silhouettes at tidy-up time

-Exploring ABAB patterns on wrapping paper

-Comparing the weight of birthday presents

-Recognising 2D shapes

-Solving simple word problems in provision

 

For number work the children focus on one ‘Star Number’ at a time. For this target number the children will:

-Recognise the number and understand its value

-Practise number formation using a range of materials (paint, foam, sponge printing)

-Count objects with one-to-one correspondence (e.g., spikes on a hedgehog, birthday cake candles)

-Begin number recognition with number hunts and parking number-matching for bikes

-Engage in jigsaw puzzles, maths games, and help create number lines for display.

 

This term, the children will explore the roles of people who help us, including:

-Doctors, dentists and hairdressers

-A visit from the caretaker, police officer, and paramedic

-Outdoor role play areas are themed around firefighters and police officers.

 

Children will observe seasonal changes, particularly in autumn, and collect materials to support discussions.  The children will also talk about our journeys to school, identifying local landmarks like the cafe, post box, fish and chip shop, garage, traffic lights and bakers.

Children's understanding of technology in the world is supported through access to the interactive whiteboard, remote-controlled cars and the light panel.

Children will explore their creativity in a variety of ways across all provision areas. Focus activities include:

-Creating self-portraits and drawings of their family

-Experimenting with paints, hand printing, splatter painting and mono printing

-Making music using the music wall.

 

We will introduce children to their own Mini-Me characters, which will support imaginative play in the construction and small world areas.  Regular enhancements will link to our current themes, encouraging exploration and self-expression.