Nursery
Children begin their St Hugh’s learning journey in our Early Years Foundation Stage which comprises Nursery, Pre-School and Reception classes.
Please click on the Welcome below to take a glimpse at life in our Nursery.
In the Nursery we have 2 classes, Acorns and Conkers.
Acorns looks after children who are 2 to 3 years old. Once the children arrive in Acorns they will be allocated a Key Worker. Our staff work closely with their key children to provide resources and activities that meet their needs. Furthermore they liaise with parents to ensure a smooth transition into the Nursery. Once the child turns 3 we enhance the provision in the room, aiming for
increased independence, further challenge and problem solving activities. The children in Acorns are an integral part of St Hugh’s School. As such they follow school routines and structures, such as break times and lunch times, when they go out to play with the Pre-Prep Department. The children in Acorns can enjoy a hot lunch provided by the kitchen, eating with their peers in the Nursery. We encourage them to be independent with cutlery, taking turns and sitting nicely. Furthermore they enjoy a varied curriculum including Swimming, French, Music and Forest Schools, as well as having access to all the PE and outdoor facilities.
Conkers is our Pre-School class and the children join in the September after their third birthday. The teacher continues to be their keyworker, once again encouraging their independence and most importantly getting them ready for transition to Reception, which is just next door! To help with this transition the children begin to work more closely with Reception, enjoying joint PE lessons and story times. Furthermore they have lunch in the main dining room with the Pre-Prep, showing increasing independence, as well as a great understanding of the rules and routines in school. The teacher begins to work on more adult led activities, but the children’s needs are paramount in the planning of these sessions and they vary depending on what their next steps are.
The Nursery and Pre-Prep day begins at 8.30am, with the first session finishing at 11.30am. Lunch is from 11.30am – 12.30pm. Session 2 starts at 12.30pm and finishes at 3.30pm. Our children can attend a variety of sessions, from one or two mornings a week to full time, depending on availability. Children from 3 years of age are eligible for 15 hours Early Years Entitlement (EYE). Furthermore parents can apply for 30 hours, please ask staff for more details.
Whilst the school day ends at 3.30pm, the fun doesn’t stop there! We have an After School Club for children from 2 to 7 years of age, which can be booked through the office or slocke@st-hughs.lincs.sch.uk. Each night of the week the children can enjoy a variety of fun activities from arts and crafts to dance and film. Furthermore we run ballet lessons during the school day, so please ask staff for more information.
If you need a slightly earlier start to the day please enquire about our Breakfast Club, from 7.40am. The children can enjoy a hearty cooked breakfast with our boarders, and are taken to class by our staff.
Finally we also run a Holiday Club during the majority of the holiday times. With trips and visits, as well as swimming, forest schools, cookery and sports, the Holiday Club is available for children from 2-7 years of age on a first come first serve basis.
Small numbers, experienced, full time staff as well as fabulous resources and provision from a dedicated team at St Hugh’s help to make our Nursery a great start to any child’s life in school. If you would like to have a look round please call the school and we look forward to meeting you.