Little Oaks Nursery

Little Oaks Nursery is a 40-place nursery providing education and care for children aged 2, 3 and 4 years. We accept children any time after they have turned 2, on the understanding that fees will be payable where children have not yet become eligible for funding.

• Opening hours and Fees - We are a term time only setting. Our opening dates match Brighton and Hove schools.

• Funded weeks (38 weeks), may fall short of the school year. Funded weeks will be clearly communicated on our website.

• Little Oaks nursery is open 8am-4pm and funded hours are offered in sessions, between 9am3pm.

• For funding and ‘government help with costs’ information, see our admissions policy or visit  https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. This includes information regarding the recent extension to the government funding program.

• Nursery children, with siblings in the school, are offered a soft start, this begins at 8.50am. 
  Children who do not have siblings in the school, will not be permitted until 9am, unless they are attending the early start hour (8-9am).

• In line with Brighton and Hove Schools, we are closed to children on bank holidays and for INSET days. The latter provide essential time for staff training and development.

• All term dates and INSET days can be checked here Term Date

The current prices for non-funded places, are as follows:

9:00am - 3:00pm (6 hours): £35.88

9:00am - 12:00pm (3 hours): £17.94

12:00pm - 3:00pm (3 hours): £17.94

Additional hours -  8:00am -9:00am / 12:00pm - 1:00pm / 3:00pm - 4:00pm: £5.98

At Little Oaks Nursery our vision and values promote inclusion and equality for all pupils, staff and families.

We embrace every child’s unique learning pathway and make a positive difference to children’s educational and wellbeing outcomes. We create a nurturing and open culture, where all children and adults can learn about and celebrate the wonderful diversities in our community.

At Little Oaks, our values and pledge are enacted through the delivery of the of the Early Years Foundation stage and our extended curriculum. We are driven by the Characteristics of Effective Learning and Teaching to achieve our whole school vision - even our littlest learners ‘THINK BIG’

Mirroring the wider school, we offer a very special place for young children to learn and develop. What makes us unique?

1. Our children and staff ‘THINK BIG’
2. Our extensive grounds
3. Our Forest School and forest school teacher
4. Our strong sense of community
5. Our commitment to building strong and positive family partnerships
6. Commitment to creativity
7. Our tailored EYFS curriculum
8. Expert childcare practitioners and specialist teachers
9. Our modern nursery and outside space
10. Our unfaltering commitment to make a difference everyday

We ensure children are given the best start in life.

Following the principles and guidance of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, we offer exciting and stimulating  provision where children are happy, confident to make choices and keen to learn.

Through carefully planned and sequenced learning experiences that account for the individuality of our children, we ensure children know more and can do more over their time at Little Oaks. Not only will children learn key skills for learning and life, they will gain knowledge and curiosity about the world around them.

We talk with our children every day, they are listened to and their voices heard. Children are encouraged to question, reason and discuss as they interact with their environment and their friends.

Children at Little Oaks learn in so many ways:

• We explore
• We play
• We focus
• We communicate

From experienced and nurturing early years practitioners and forest school specialists to speech and language teachers, early reading experts and PE coaches, our wealth of expertise and an unfaltering commitment, makes a difference every day.

We go beyond the delivery of The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory curriculum. Our unique provision is designed with our children at its core and values the vital importance of responsive relationships, early intervention and the development of strong communication and language skills.

At Little Oaks Nursery we ensure that the knowledge, skills and experiences pertinent to our community are part and parcel of nursery practice and provision.

What’s important to us?

• Talking, listening and the world of words
• Getting outside for whole body learning
• Baking, making and exploring 
• Stories, singing and dancing
• Learning about our community and world

What else will be planned?

• Specialist teachers will be invited to work with groups of nursery children
• Regular cooking experiences
• Time in our school garden, forest school and beautiful green spaces
• Community visitors and experiences
• Welcome our families to the nursery to play and learn with us

We explore, smile, sing and learn everyday at Little Oaks. What will we be getting up to?

Using knowledge of our children and an understanding of child development and learning, our busy days are carefully planned to meet the needs of the whole child.

• Purposeful play in our continuous provision  (inside and outside): We carefully consider the learning opportunities available through our continuous provision; ensuring challenge and progression across the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. Think, construction, sensory exploration, role play, small world, creativity and more!
• Guided play: Our skilled adults will focus on specific knowledge and skills that can be achieved through play and across multiple contexts – meeting each child where they are and harnessing their unique interests
• Enhanced environments: Quality books and key themes drive our provision. This is reflected through enhancements designed to develop specific knowledge or skills
• Snack time café: Our children meet daily to develop their talk, relationships and independence. They try new foods, pour their own drinks and develop understanding about how to keep their bodies and brains happy and healthy.
• Bikes, trikes and physical play: We ensure timetabled time to use our bikes and physical resources on the play ground and, in favourable weather, enjoy the school field.
• Group times: Adult led, group learning with the intention of progressing in specific knowledge and skills across the EYFS. Think, story comprehension, early number, nursery phonics, mark making, singing and rhyme, circle games and more! Group times are for all, but especially our school starters.

At Little Oaks, all our nursery staff share a collective responsibility for the safety, care and education of your children. Our key Person Approach enhances the ways we work in partnership with our families to meet the individual needs of every child in our care.

Little Oaks’ Key People will:

• Act as first, but not exclusive, point of contact.
• Support close attachments between children, families and staff.
• Provide a secure base for children to feel safe, secure and cared for.
• Connect with and work together in partnership with the child’s family and outside agencies.
• Be primarily responsible for personal care routines; nappy changing, toileting, sleep/rest etc.
• Be primarily responsible for tracking the development and progress of the whole child and for sharing this with families.
• Play an important role in supporting the child and family, as the child transitions from one setting to another.

It’s important to us that building positive partnerships with families, begins from the very first day. 

Come and visit us and see what Little Oaks Nursery has to offer.

Read our admissions policy and check any ‘government – help with costs’ you may be entitled to; see https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Consider the attendance pattern most suitable for your child and family.

• Full time: Monday -Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm (30 hours)
• Mornings: Monday -Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm (15 hours)  
• Afternoons: Monday -Friday 12:00pm - 3:00pm (15 hours)
• Beginning of the week: Monday, Tuesday 9:00am - 3:00pm / Wednesday 9:00am - 12:00pm (15 hours)
• End of the week: Wednesday 12:00pm - 3:00pm / Thursday, Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm (15 hours)

Complete a registration form; available from our main school office or to download, please click here

Wait to be contacted by our nursery team about your request. Applications made mid-term will be considered on a case by case basis and places allocated subject to availability. 

• Autumn places will be confirmed in writing, the previous May
• Spring places will be confirmed in writing, the previous October
• Summer places will be confirmed in writing, the previous February

Once you receive your allocation letter, contact us immediately if there are any changes.

Settling sessions will then be arranged by the nursery team.

Little Oaks Nursery, previously as Pavilion Pre-School, is a ‘GOOD’ provider. Please follow this link to read the most recent Ofsted Report.

Joining a nursery is a big step for a small child so please talk to your child about us before and during their first days.

Our settling period normally consists of three sessions, increasing in length from around an hour, taken within your planned attendance pattern. We ask that you stay and play with your child  as much as is necessary, to feel happy and comfortable; if a swift drop off is preferable, we fully support this too.

Experience tells us that although young children can sometimes find the initial separation from their home adult upsetting, they will quickly find comfort in the nursery adults, their friends and their environment.

You will meet your child’s key person over their first few sessions. They will spend time supporting your child through interaction and by giving space, as they explore their new environment. The key adult will also spend time with home adults, discussing needs, interests and key information.

How to find us: Our nursery is situated on the Reception side of the main school. Two large classroom have been joined together to create a spacious and bright, open plan space with designated toilets and garden area.

To enter and exit the nursery, please use the signposted gate and intercom system near the carpark and not the main school intercom.

What to bring:

• A packed lunch (unless you are ordering a hot lunch, for your child – please note, we are a nut free setting).
• A water bottle - water only please, unless you have discussed your child’s needs with the nursery team.
• A fruit/ vegetable contribution for our snack time café.
• Spare clothes - even if your child is completely toilet trained.
• Intimate care supplies, if needed.
• A face flannel.

It is essential that all items are clearly named.

Please ensure:

• Your child is suitably dressed (Coat/ jumper, sunhat, shoes suitable for outside play, clothes that can withstand messy play).
• That in warm weather, sun cream is applied at home. We will be unable to reapply sun cream until we have received a named bottle of sun cream and signed consent.
• You do not send in any toys from home – please discuss special comfort toys with your child’s key person, on their first day.
• You do not send your child to nursery if they are unwell. Please refer to the policies on the website or talk to our team if you are unsure about our guidelines for children that are ill or infectious.

Drop off and Collection: 

• If you have an older sibling in the school, you may drop of at 8.50am.
• Arrival for all other children, attending a morning/ whole day, is 9am – unless they are booked in for the paid early start session.
• Please do not ring the nursery intercom before these times as our team are busy setting up the learning for the day. 
• Please collect your child promptly at the end of their session – 12pm, 1pm, 3pm or 4pm.
• If you plan to collect more than 15 minutes early, please arrange this is in advance with the nursery team.
• Please help us to safeguard our children by ensuring you do not hold the green gates open for other families and that the main entrance door is shut firmly behind you.

Sleeping and Intimate Care:

Nursery life is busy so we’re more than happy to accommodate nap times for your child. Equally, if day time snoozing negatively impacts your little one’s routine – just communicate their needs with us.

We are well rehearsed to care for children at all stages of their toilet training journey. Please speak to your child’s key person about your child’s individual needs. We work together with families to support children on their road to independent toileting.

Eating:

If your child stays all day or you pay for the additional lunch period hour (12-1pm), you will need to send a packed lunch or order a hot lunch. Hot lunches are provided by Caterlink; they can be ordered on the day but must be paid for in advance through your Parent Pay account. If you state any allergies or intolerances on your registration form, Caterlink will require a full allergens declaration, signed by your doctor, before they can provide your child with meals.

The children also enjoy a healthy snack at our sharing table, during both the morning and the afternoon sessions. Milk will be provided by the school, through ‘Cool Milk’. As your child will not yet be 5, there is no need to sign up for this service, however, you must make it clear, on your registration form, if your child is unable to drink cows milk.

Book Bags and Borrowing:

We love to read at Little Oaks !  On starting, your child will be gifted a ‘Little Oaks Nursery’ book bag to use for the duration of their time with us. In donating the book bags back to us, when your child moves on, we can ensure this offer is available to all our families for longer. Our borrowing library is available to our families every day – please change your child’s book as regularly as you wish. We encourage all our families to share books, stories, rhyme and poems regularly. If there is a particular book type that your child is interested in, please let us know.

Please look after and return our books so that everyone can enjoy them.

Optional Uniform:

You can now purchase a ‘Little Oaks Nursery’ T-shirt, priced at £5.75, from Klassy Kids; just select Mile Oak primary School for options. Please ask the nursery team to see the available sizes. Here, you can also purchase a Mile Oak Primary School jumper, this can be especially useful if your child is transitioning to our reception classes in September.

To visit Klassy Kids, please click here.

Please do not send your child to nursery, wearing full uniform – this is neither comfortable or practical. Our uniform offer is completely optional, for children at Little Oaks.

Family partnerships are very important to us.

Daily communication with your child’s key person or another member of the nursery team helps us to provide the very best care for your child. If there is anything significant to report about your child’s day, outside of accidents and illness, this will be spoken about at collection.

In addition, we will share learning through social media, newsletters, our website and through opening the nursery for special events and workshops. There will also be regular times for you to discuss your child’s personal journey and share how they are progressing and developing at home. If you ever have any concerns about your child’s development, always speak to one of the nursery team.

At Mile Oak Primary School and Little Oaks Nursery, our vison and values promote inclusion and equality for all children, staff and families.

We champion the Equal Opportunities Act 2010 to ensure that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. Our school embraces the aim of working together with others to improve children’s educational and wellbeing outcomes, and notes the rights set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We tackle discrimination through the positive promotion of equality, by challenging bullying and stereotypes and by creating an environment which celebrates diversity.

Parent Pay

On joining and if not already a Mile Oak family, you will be sent sign-up information to Parent Pay. Once you have set this account up, you will be able to top up your child’s lunch fund account. To order you child’s daily lunches, your Parent Pay account must be kept in credit. 

Consents

Once your child has joined us, you will be sent, via School Ping, various consents to read and sign. Having your agreement to such things as, intimate care and sun cream application, are essential to the care your child receives. Equally, we are unable to include your child’s photo on displays, our website or in our newsletter, without your signed agreement.

School Ping

On joining and if not already a Mile Oak family, you will be invited to join School Ping, our whole school communication tool. It is essential that you set this account up promptly and engage with the updates you receive. We use School Ping to share key information, letters, invite families to events and keep you up-to-date with our nursery news.

We always strive for improvement and welcome suggestions and ideas from our community – your voices are valued.

Little Oaks Safeguarding Policy

Little Oaks Attendance Policy

Little Oaks Admissions Policy

Little Oaks Intimate Care Policy

Little Oaks Complaints Policy

Little Oaks Late or Non Collection Policy

Little Oaks Lost Child Policy

Little Oaks Administration of Medicine Policy

Little Oaks Key Practitioner Policy

Little Oaks SEND Policy

Little Oaks SEND Appendices

Little Oaks Statutory Policies and Procedures

Little Oaks Whistleblowing Policy 

Little Oaks Health & Safety Policy