Welcome to Our Nursery – A Place of Wonder, Nature, and Belonging

At our nursery, we believe childhood should be filled with magic, discovery, and joy. Nestled within the heart of our main school community, our nursery offers a nurturing environment where children are encouraged to explore, imagine, and grow—both indoors and out.

Rooted in nature and inspired by curiosity, our days are filled with outdoor adventures, creative play, and gentle guidance. Whether it's making mud pies in our forest garden, painting under the open sky, or listening to stories beneath the trees, your child will be immersed in experiences that spark imagination and build confidence.

As part of the wider school, our nursery children benefit from a strong sense of belonging and a seamless transition into the next stages of learning. We foster close relationships with families, ensuring every child feels safe, seen, and celebrated.

Ms Natasha Sibley ( Class Teacher )

Mrs Darvill - West (Teaching Assistant)

Mrs Faulkner ( Teaching Assistant )

 

Our Intent

In Evans, we are passionate about providing a rich, nurturing, and inspiring early years experience for every child. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and are deeply committed to the principles of "Every Child Matters." We believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfill their potential.

Our Approach

Our curriculum is designed to spark curiosity, promote independence, and build strong foundations for lifelong learning. Each term is guided by an overarching theme, and each week is inspired by a carefully chosen book that helps to bring learning to life across all areas of development.

However, while these themes and books provide structure and inspiration, our planning is always flexible. We place the children’s interests at the heart of everything we do, allowing their ideas, questions, and explorations to shape and guide our daily activities. This ensures that learning is meaningful, engaging, and rooted in what matters most to each unique child.

We are also inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, which values the process of learning through exploration, creativity, and self-expression. We place a strong emphasis on art, sensory experiences, and the natural world, encouraging children to express their ideas and understanding in a variety of ways. Outdoor learning is a vital part of our curriculum, giving children daily opportunities to connect with nature, develop physical skills, and engage in imaginative, open-ended play.

   

We aim to:

• Provide a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment where all children feel valued and supported.

• Develop confident, independent learners through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated play.

• Foster a love of stories, language, and communication through our book-based approach.

• Support each child's holistic development across the seven areas of the EYFS.

• Embrace creativity, sensory exploration, and outdoor learning as key tools for discovery and expression.

• Work closely with families to ensure continuity, support, and shared goals for every child.

In Evans, we celebrate every step of a child’s journey, knowing that through play, exploration, and positive relationships, they are laying the foundations for a bright and happy future

Learning Journey

Autumn 1

As part of our rich and varied curriculum, this term we explore the theme of "People Who Help Us".  Children are introduced to a range of real-life heroes such as vets, doctors, nurses, postal workers, firefighters, and police officers, helping them understand the roles these people play in our communities. Through role play, small world setups, and carefully chosen stories, we bring these professions to life in meaningful, imaginative ways that encourage empathy, curiosity, and real-world understanding.

We also focus on developing positive behaviours for learning—such as listening, perseverance, teamwork, and problem-solving. These are closely linked to our school values, which are woven through daily routines, interactions, and celebrations. In addition, we encourage children to take pride in and care for our school environment, helping to build responsibility, respect, and a strong sense of belonging in our nursery community.

Autumn 2

This term, the children will be exploring the wonderful themes of night time and light and dark. Through play, stories, and hands-on experiences, they will discover what happens when the sun goes down, which animals come out at night, and how light helps us to see and feel safe.

We’ll investigate different sources of light such as torches, lamps, candles, and even stars! The children experiment with shadows, using light boxes and dark dens to see how light changes what we can see. These activities will help to develop their language, curiosity, and scientific thinking, as they describe what they notice and ask questions about the world around them.

As we move towards Christmas, we’ll begin to link our learning about light to the Christmas story — exploring how light is an important symbol of hope and joy. The children have enjoyed listening to and retelling the story of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, using puppets, small world play, and role play to bring the story to life.

We’re also very excited to be preparing for our first Nativity performance! The children are learning songs, actions, and simple lines, building their confidence, memory, and teamwork skills. Most importantly, they’re experiencing the joy of performing together and sharing their learning with families.

Spring1

This term, our Nursery children will be exploring the exciting topic of “Let’s Celebrate!” We will be learning about different celebrations from around the world and comparing how people celebrate special occasions.

Through stories, songs, role play and creative activities, children will talk about where celebrations take place, what we do to celebrate, and who we celebrate with. We will share our own experiences and learn to listen to others, helping children to develop confidence, communication skills and an understanding of similarities and differences.

We will explore familiar celebrations such as birthdays, as well as special events including Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, and Shrove Tuesday. Children will take part in fun, hands-on activities such as party role play, making cards, cooking, music and dancing, and creating festive artwork.

This topic supports children’s personal, social and emotional development while encouraging curiosity about the world around them and celebrating diversity in a meaningful, age-appropriate way.