Spoken language is a fundamental part of all seven areas of learning. At Nightingale, we recognise that effective communication between children and adults is vital. We cultivate a language-rich environment through high-quality interactions between staff and peers to actively support speech and language development.

Children are encouraged to discuss their interests, acquire new vocabulary through topic-based learning and key phrases, and embed this learning by actively engaging with a variety of texts, including stories, non-fiction, rhymes, and poems. 

Should a child experience communication difficulties, our dedicated Nightingale staff will ensure both the child and parents receive access to appropriate support, services and resources.

WellComm is a widely used speech and language toolkit designed for early identification and intervention for children aged 6 months to 11 years. We use this toolkit at Nightingale to assess the children to help identify any potential communication barriers which may impact our children’s learning.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) is fundamental to children leading healthy and happy lives.

At Nightingale, we support children in understanding and managing their own and others' feelings through warm, supportive relationships with adults. This guidance helps children develop a positive self-image, build confidence, set simple goals, persist with tasks, and improve their ability to wait and focus attention.

Adults model and guide children in developing crucial self-care skills, such as healthy eating and managing personal needs independently.

Through supported interaction with peers, children learn how to form good friendships, co-operate, and peacefully resolve conflicts. These essential attributes create a strong foundation for their journey through school and into later life.

The Highfield Resilience Tracker is a key tool in developing resilience in children at Nightingale, forming a vital part of our annual assessment cycle. We utilise a variety of strategies to build children's resilience and broaden their experiences as they begin school.

Supporting Physical Development and Well-being

Physical activity is vital for children's holistic development, laying the foundation for happy, healthy, and active lives. Through diverse activities and games, children build both gross and fine motor skills.

• Gross motor skills are fundamental for developing healthy bodies and fostering social-emotional well-being.

• Fine motor control activities enhance hand-eye coordination, which is a crucial precursor to early literacy.

Our staff ensure children have ample opportunities for indoor and outdoor play. These activities are designed to support key physical attributes, including:

• Core strength and stability

• Balance and spatial awareness

• Coordination and agility

In Reception, daily play includes activities such as small world play, puzzles, arts and crafts, and the use of small tools to purposefully develop physical skills. Staff actively guide children to help them achieve proficiency, control, and confidence in their physical movements.

In Reception, children build the foundational literacy skills essential for all future learning. We immerse children in a literacy-rich environment, providing numerous opportunities to develop their reading and writing abilities.

Key activities include:

• Reading Development: Daily phonics sessions, engaging with the 'book of the week', exploring a variety of books, and eventually reading simple books independently and discussing the content.

• Writing Development: Encouraging 'mark-making' using diverse materials like paint, chalk, and shaving foam, developing correct pencil grip, and progressing towards writing their own name and simple sentences for a range of purposes.

Adults actively support this development by engaging children in conversations about the world and the books (both fiction and non-fiction) they read, as well as enjoying rhymes, poems, and songs together.

In Reception, children build a strong foundation for future learning across the whole school by developing a deep understanding of the 6 key areas of early maths, through the NCETM programme. They are supported to count confidently and to explore the patterns within numbers. 

Staff ensure children have frequent and varied opportunities to apply this knowledge through adult-led activities and mathematical play in both the classroom and outdoor learning environments. 

Children are actively encouraged to 'have a go,' talk about their observations, and see mistakes as part of the learning process.  Maths talk is integrated into daily routines, to effectively develop thinking, reasoning and vocabulary.  Our maths inputs follow an ‘I do, we do, you do’ format to maximise the children’s understanding and experiences.

Nurturing children's artistic and cultural awareness is vital, as it stimulates their imagination and creativity. At Nightingale, children regularly engage with the arts, allowing them to explore and interact with diverse media and materials. 

Providing ample opportunities for children to explore art activities is key to enhancing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary, and ability to communicate through artistic mediums.

At Nightingale, we guide children to understand their physical world and community through 'Understanding the World'. This is achieved through a rich variety of experiences, including real-life encounters such as visits from nurses, farmers and police officers including a visit to a local farm and the theatre. 

We also utilise a wide range of stories, non-fiction, rhymes, and poems to broaden their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically, and ecologically diverse world. 

We actively celebrate the rich cultural diversity of our setting. This fosters children's awareness of and respect for others, as we celebrate the different faiths and traditions familiar to our children and their families.

Starting their first day at 'big school' should be a time of excitement, confidence, and happiness for every child.

This positive experience is built on knowing what to expect: understanding where they are going, who will greet them, what activities they will enjoy, and how long their school day will be.

At Nightingale, we are committed to helping children settle into school quickly. Our approach includes:

1. A Home Visit: We visit your child at home in a safe, familiar environment. This allows us to chat with them about their likes and dislikes and gives them a chance to show us their favourite things.

2. Stay and Play Session: We then invite you and your child to explore their new classrooms during a stay and play session. This is an opportunity for your child to become familiar with their new surroundings and for you, as a parent, to see where their school journey begins.

3. Informal Family Meeting: Finally, we invite parents and children to an informal meeting. Here, we discuss how Nightingale partners with you as a family and provide details about your child’s future education.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to Nightingale very soon.

Useful Information:

• 1. Transition Flyer.pdf

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• 1. Meet the Reception Team.pdf

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  2. road to reception.pdf

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  3. Starting-Reception - school readiness support.pdf

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Throughout the day children take part in many different experiences.  We encourage children to spend time outside, experiencing different weather conditions and participating in messy play.

Our favourite outdoor learning experiences are when the seasons change. Our seasonal walks take us on a journey around our school, looking for changes in our environment.

We are excited to announce our new playground coming soon to Nightingale.  Have a look at the proposed plan below:

Parents and carers for children in either nursery or reception, now have access to a great new service called Tapestry. Find out more on our Tapestry page.