Welcome to Riverside Primary Academy Nursery
We understand that choosing a nursery and school for your child is an important decision so we want you to know as much as possible about our nursery.
We offer both 15 hour provision and 30 hour provision for those who are eligible and our nursery children can access our wrap around care (breakfast club from 7.30am and after school club until 5.30pm) for those parents who need extended hours.
Children join us in the term following their third birthday and we offer phased settling in options depending on the needs of the child.
Full details of the admission process is available in our Nursery Policy
How to apply to our Nursery
To apply for a nursery childcare for 3 & 4 year old children, please complete our Online Application for Nursery Care
In order to secure a place for your child, please also email a copy of your child’s birth certificate to the school office at info@riversideprimaryacademy.org.uk. Please note that a place will not be secured for your child until both the application form and birth certificate have been received.
Visits to our Nursery
We welcome visits to our nursery on an appointment basis. If you would like to arrange for a nursery tour, please contact the school office to book this in.
Life in our Nursery
Every day in our nursery is different but we structure it so that our children know what to expect and can settle in comfortably and are prepared for a normal school day.
The nursery day is split into two sessions for the morning and the afternoon. Each session is structured in a similar way so those children who are only here for afternoons or mornings get the same experience as those who are with us for the whole day.
We begin with a welcome group where we sing about counting and days of the week. We talk about some of the first letters and also discuss the weather and some things that our children may have noticed on the way into school. We then move onto a focus where we might be learning a song, or talking about a topic to help develop the language, speaking and listening skills of our children. Then we have a short period where children can choose their activity. The activities are adjusted based on the interests of the child and the topics they are learning.
We then have a snack time where children have a choice of fruits and vegetables and water or milk. During snack time we might have a show and tell session if a child has brought in something to show or we might have a story. After snack time we go outside and we go out in all sorts of weathers.
The nursery out door space is divided from the main school yard but the nursery children may well be outside while the rest of the school is there too. This allows them to be exposed to the noise of the yard and see older siblings and friends. When the school yard is empty, we get out the bikes, scooters and prams.
During this outdoor time we will take the opportunity to do some focus time with some of our children where they work with an adult on a task designed to help them learn. At the end of the session, they will then come back to the carpet for a story before they leave to go home.
The children have lots of opportunities to be part of the wider school community and take part in the Early Years Christmas production, our dance festival and sports day. The reception teachers are regularly in the nursery so the children will get to know them from an early stage. This goes a long way to helping them transition to reception classes and the children who are part of our school nursery settle into reception very quickly. Children who are in full days in our nursery have their lunch in the school hall.
Throughout the year we have ‘Stay & Play’ sessions where a parent or grandparent can come into the nursery and take part in some of the activities that children can do throughout their days. We also have visits from the Library Lady who brings our book trust books and reads stories and we have a creature workshop where out children get to meet an array of unusual creatures.
All of this being said, we do like to take opportunities when we get them so if we can, we like to bake and cook soup, if it snows we will go out and play in it and then we might even have some hot chocolate afterwards to warm up! Oh and the big man comes to visit too!