Vicky Morris
Assistant Headteacher (EYFS)
We are pleased to be able to offer places as part of our Rising 3’s Nursery 1 cohort starting in January 2025. This is available to children who turn 3 between 1st September 2024 and 31st December 2024. The deadline to apply for this cohort is Monday 4th November 2024. If your child starts as part of this cohort, it means that they are automatically guaranteed a place again in our Nursery 2 cohort in September 2025.
At Oswald Road Nursery we aim to provide the highest quality care and education for all our children thereby giving them a strong foundation for their future learning. We create a safe and happy environment with motivating and enjoyable learning experiences that enable children to become confident and independent. We value the individual child and work alongside parents, carers and others to meet their needs and help every child to reach their full potential.
We’re committed to supporting a smooth transition and all staff in Nursery will work closely with your family.
As part of our practice we:
What I love about Oswald Road…
I love working with such friendly and collaborative staff. I love teaching the youngest children in our school because we have so much fun and they just love learning so much!
Things I like to do in my spare time…
I love spending time with my family including weekly Sunday dinners! I like traveling to new places, films, reading and pub quizzes.
What I love about Oswald Road…
We have an incredible team at Oswald Road from committed teachers and teaching assistants, to nurturing members of the Learning support team, supportive Governors, passionate Parents/Carers and of course our gorgeous children.
What I enjoy doing in my spare time…
In my spare time I love to be outdoors with my family and dog Maggie especially at the Seaside.
What I love about Oswald Road…
I love that we are a Rights Respecting School and I love the way we consistently keep a broad, varied curriculum at all times. Our children and staff are just amazing and I love that I get to teach every day!
What I enjoy doing in my spare time…
Going on lots of days out with my little girl and having meals out with my friends.
Nursery Rising 3’s Curriculum Map 2024-25
If you have any questions about our curriculum please contact our Headteacher, Deborah Howard, to pass on to the Curriculum Lead.
At Oswald Road we follow the revised EYFS Framework, which will be statutory from September 2021. Within this framework there are four guiding principles which shape our practice.
These are:
1. Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
2. Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
3. Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers.
4. Children develop and learn at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Our curriculum encompasses seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships, and
thriving. These are called the prime areas:
• communication and language
• physical development
• personal, social, and emotional development.
• literacy
Four areas help children to strengthen and apply the prime areas.These are called the specific areas:
• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding the world
• expressive arts and design
Throughout their time in EYFS our children partake in a well-balanced and varied curriculum which is designed in a sequential way to ensure progress towards the end of reception goals. These goals are defined as Early Learning Goals (ELGs).
As previously outlined, our curriculum incorporates learning through play, learning by adults modelling, by observing each other and through guided learning and direct teaching. It is also important to highlight that our plans are flexible to allow us to respond quickly to children’s new interests and/or
needs.
Weaving throughout the EYFS curriculum at Oswald Road Primary are three Characteristics of Effective Learning.
• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’.
• active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements.
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
These elements underpin how we reflect on each child’s development and adjust our practice accordingly. Supporting children in their individual learning behaviour and observing the context of children’s play is essential.
Nursery children are to be dropped-off at and picked-up from the classroom door.
Drop-Off: 8.35am-8.45am
Pick-Up: 3:15pm
Oswald Road Nursery are working in cooperation with Manchester City Council and HMRC to accept the 30 hours free childcare vouchers. To find out if you are eligible and to apply please click here.
Children are provided with a carton of milk and a fruit snack daily, with an option for dental milk (with added Fluoride).
If your child requires a lunch, you will need to purchase a school dinner and this can be arranged with the school office. School dinners are cooked on the premises in our kitchen and meet the government’s nutritional standards. They also comply with dietary and religious requirements. Fresh drinking water is available to children at all times. A record is kept of any special dietary requirements or food allergies, taken from the child’s admission form. If your child is entitled to free school meals, application forms are available in the school office.
There is always a member of staff with a relevant First Aid Qualification on the school’s site and an ‘Up-to- Date’ First Aid Box is kept on the premises at all times. The Staff of the Nursery will keep up-to-date records on children’s health. e.g. allergies (we are a nut free school). If your child needs medication, parents/carers should complete the relevant forms. Please also see the school’s Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions Policy
In school, we follow the Essential Letters & Sounds programme. ELS is a phonics resource published by the Department for Education and Skills which consists of six phases which establishes a practice of high quality phonics. Phase 1 phonics is taught throughout the year.
Security is our highest priority and we take all necessary steps to ensure the premises and surrounding site is secure. All staff are DBS checked before being employed by us, as are students and volunteers. For more information please see our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Nursery staff will request a ‘pick-up password’ if anyone we don’t recognise comes to collect a child.
Seesaw is a secure online learning journal used to record photos, observations and comments in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. It is used to build up a record of your child’s experiences during their time in Nursery and Reception.
The new curriculum specifies that adult interaction has to take priority over any form of recording or assessment, so we will be moving to recording only key ‘wow’ moments in each child’s development. We will continue to promote parental engagement by celebrating any observations added by parents and carers
from home.
Oswald Road Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children. We require all staff, volunteers and visitors to share the commitment. For more information and resources, view our safeguarding page by clicking here.
Click here to read our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
To contact our Safeguarding Team, please email d.wealleans@oswaldroad.manchester.sch.uk or a.clifton@oswaldroad.manchester.sch.uk
Our Safeguarding Page also features lots of useful resources on Online Safety, including information about the ‘Report Harmful Content’ button shown below.