Early Years (EYFS) - Reception and Nursery

At Tansley Primary School, our Foundation Stage team are passionate about providing a joyful and stimulating environment in which children feel safe to explore their own interests, build relationships with others and embark on their own, individual school journey. We enjoy planning engaging activities that open our children’s eyes to the world around them and encourage them to become the best learners they can be. Through a mix of ‘teacher-led’ input and ‘pupil-initiated’ learning, we ensure children can participate in enquiry, discovery and reflection in both the indoor and outdoor learning areas.

As a school, we are proud to offer wonderful opportunities that develop the whole-child and this very much starts in the EYFS. Through Forest School sessions, Lea Green activity days and a range of opportunities to enhance learning, we aim to build resilient, confident and motivated learners. We also value the ideas and opinions of our children and we encourage them to listen to and consider other people’s points of view. We give children the opportunity to negotiate, problem solve and communicate with their peers so they can deal with real life situations calmly and thoughtfully.

In the EYFS, we love sharing rhymes, stories and books. When we read together, we get to visit exciting places, meet diverse characters and learn interesting new vocabulary. It is a privilege to observe our children as they take all these new experiences into their play and learning. As EYFS staff, we understand that we can help children to foster a lifelong love of reading and we have lots of exciting ways to inspire and engage our young readers.

We know that each child is individual with their own strengths, interests and opinions and we celebrate that. Our aim is that by the time our children leave the EYFS provision, they will be happy, independent and motivated learners who are capable of tackling challenges, building relationships and being successful.

EYFS at Tansley Primary School:

• Teachers have high expectations of children in the early years and learning opportunities are well planned, based on regular and accurate assessment of achievement so that every child is suitably challenged.
• Planning is based on 'child initiated learning' that has proved very effective.
• Children are highly motivated, enjoy learning, have good relationships with their peers and are self-motivated to learn.
• The vibrant indoor and outdoor environment provides imaginative, varied and stimulating continuous provision to enhance child initiated learning, which promotes their imagination and curiosity.
• Children investigate learning opportunities during choosing time and engage full, being always keen to 'have a go' with sensitive encouragement from adults to explore all areas.
• Teachers respond to children's interests, amend planning to meet these, with assessments sharply focused to include all who are involved in each child's development.
• Teachers monitor the progress of each child, set challenging targets to ensure they meet the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning.
• Children enjoy sharing their achievements, ask questions to further their knowledge and can talk enthusiastically about the next steps in their learning.

EYFS Framework 2025

Tansley Primary School Governor-Led Nursery Provision (taking children from age 2)

We aim to provide quality play and learning experiences for children in our Nursery provision.  We believe in creating a fun, attractive environment where children can explore and learn about the world around them within a safe, friendly and caring community.  The Nursery is teacher-led alongside our Early Years staff team who are professionally trained in childcare and and have many years experience.  They are a dedicated team who recognise the value of individuality and plan activities which allow children to explore and take control of their own learning, supporting children to become positive, confident learners.

Admissions:

Children can start with us from the term after their 2nd birthday:

Nursery session times:

Charges:

Fruit is available every day, you may also bring in a healthy snack for your child to have at break times (please avoid any items containing nuts as we have children with severe allergies in school).

To use Early Years Funding with our nursery you must complete a FE1 funding form and return this to us so that we can claim the fees on your behalf.  Without the completed form you will be invoiced for your sessions.

Childcare Payment Vouchers & Tax-free childcare:

We accept vouchers from most providers for both nursery sessions and wrap-around care and also tax-free childcare payments.  Parents should contact the school office for more information about using tax-free childcare and childcare payment vouchers.

Allocation of places/Admission Criteria:

Please see the Admissions Policy below.  Please note, admission to the Nursery does not give priority to admission to the primary school (reception year). Admissions for reception places are managed by Derbyshire County Council and in line with their Admissions Policy.

Applying for a place - please complete the Nursery Request Form and return to the school office. Once your place has been confirmed your will receive a Booking Confirmation and New Pupil form to complete.  If you are claiming early years funding you will also need to complete the FE1 form (see below).

Waiting List - if your child is not successful in gaining a place, parents will be informed by email and an offer for your child will be placed on our waiting list.  If a place becomes available we will contact you.

Clothing/Uniform - children should wear the Framework Federation nursery sweatshirt/polo shirt with grey skirt, trousers or shorts (see link below to Parade Schoolwear).

We try to play outdoors whenever possible so weather appropriate clothes are a must - warm/waterproof coats, gloves and hats and colder days and sunhats on warmer days.  On sunny days children should also have sun cream applied before they attend nursery sessions.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

FE1 Funding Form - you must complete this if you want to use early years funding to pay for your sessions

Nursery Request Form

Nursery Admissions Policy