Nursery

Welcome

Welcome to Spring Grove Nursery – this page tells you where our Nursery is and what it offers for children aged two years upwards.

Where is Spring Grove Nursery?
Spring Grove Nursery is situated within the school, with its own building to the side of the main school, and a large walled garden that is safe and private, used only by the Nursery children.

What’s new at Spring Grove Nursery?
We are delighted to announce that from September 2026 our Nursery is expanding to three classes: Little Teddies (for age 2+), Big Teddies (for age 3+) and Giraffes (pre-school year).

What age can my child start at Spring Grove Nursery?
Children can start in Little Teddies from their 2nd birthday onwards.

When will my child move to Big Teddies?
Children will move into the Big Teddies room when they are emotionally and physically ready – there will be no requirement for them to move as soon as they turn 3 years old, and Nursery staff will liaise closely with parents to discuss when children are ready to make the move. The Nursery Teddies staff will work across both rooms, so children will have consistency and see familiar faces whichever room they are in.

What’s the pre-school class called?
Giraffes is the name of our pre-school class, the year that prepares children to move into Reception class either at Spring Grove or elsewhere. The children in the Giraffes class will have regular opportunities to link up with the older children in the Spring Grove Reception class for activities such as cooking lessons, art or free play, both inside and outside. Several afternoons every week they will also join the younger children in the Big Teddies class, for free flow between both rooms and the garden.

Please note that we usually only accept children as new starters into our Giraffes class if they are staying on into the Reception class at Spring Grove School.

How does the Nursery prepare my pre-schooler for school?
The focus in Giraffes is on preparing children for their start in school in the following September. Children in Giraffes have lessons from specialist teachers in French, Music and PE, and go to Forest School every two weeks, as well as attending the Family Assembly on Friday mornings. The free flow between Teddies, Giraffes and Reception will also help to extend the children’s social and emotional learning, and to prepare them for a smooth transition to Reception class.

Is Spring Grove Nursery open all year round?
Yes, the Nursery is open all year round, closing only during the Christmas period, for Bank Holidays and for a staff training day in September (see the term dates for more information). Parents have the option of choosing between term-time or full-time provision in the Nursery. There is also the opportunity to book occasional days in the holidays (subject to availability) for those children who attend during term time only.

Do the children go outside every day?
Unless the weather is REALLY horrible, our Teddies and Giraffes children play outside in the spacious walled garden every morning and afternoon, enjoying the sandpit, digging area, mud kitchen, vegetable garden, slack line, climbing frame, fairy garden and music area. There are also well-equipped outdoor classroom areas with artificial grass and large canopies to allow all-year-round free-flow in and out.

Do the Nursery children use the school facilities?
While the Nursery children enjoy their own safe indoor and outdoor spaces, they also benefit from the use of the school hall for lunch, and the expertise of the school staff for subjects such as Music, PE, French and Forest School. They also go for walks around the school grounds, particularly in the Spring when the lambs are out in the field next door!

Early Years Foundation Stage

Children learn and develop at a faster rate from birth to five years old than at any other time in their lives, so their experiences in early years have a major impact on their future life chances.  The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a play-based curriculum that covers all early years providers in England for children from age 0 until 31st August after their 5th birthday. At Spring Grove the EYFS curriculum spans our Teddies and Giraffes classes in the Nursery, and our Reception class (the first year of school).

There are three prime areas of learning and development in the EYFS:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

In addition providers must support children in four specific areas, igniting their curiosity and enthusiasm for:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

In the EYFS the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:

• 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

As they progress through the Teddies and Giraffes classes, our Nursery children are encouraged to develop independence within a safe and secure environment, setting them up for the next step in their education as they eventually move from Nursery into the Reception class. Children develop confidence in themselves and confidence in their ability to learn and achieve.

Tapestry

At Spring Grove we use the Tapestry app to communicate with parents. Tapestry builds a very special record of your child’s experiences, development and learning journey through their early years. Using photos, videos, and diary entries, staff, along with the child’s parents or carers, ‘weave’ the story of the child and how they are growing and developing. The Tapestry platform then works seamlessly to enable these memories to be kept as a permanent record of each child’s unique journey.

All information held in the platform is stored securely and can be downloaded and shared as required. Parents or carers are able to view their child’s progress, the activities provided for them, and how much fun they’re having, whilst also uploading their own comments and media. In addition the Care Diary on Tapestry allows parents in the Nursery to be informed of the food their child has eaten, nappy changes and how long your child has slept (if applicable) during the day.

Please note that we now have very limited places available in the Nursery for 2026-7 – please enquire. We are accepting registrations from September 2027 onwards.