Prospectus

To download a pdf version - please click here

Micklefield Nursery School welcomed its first children in 1993
and is now established as one of the leading pre-school facilities in the county.

Parents and children alike love our friendly, informal and caring atmosphere but also appreciate the structured approach we take to the day. At Micklefield we are passionate in our belief that early childhood education is worthwhile in its own right. It’s not just a way of preparing children for the next stage of their education, though clearly this is an important part of what we do.

We are an independent school for children aged between two and five years. Micklefield is an Educational Trust registered as a charity, and managed by a board of governors including at least one parent.

Our qualified staff and assistants are carefully selected for their skills and characters. Nursery teaching is a special type of job and our teachers and assistants have a deep affinity with the children in their care.

This prospectus will give you some idea about the way that we organise ourselves. We would also encourage you to visit our website for photographs, information about our staff, and details of recent events at the school.

Most importantly of all, we encourage you to visit the school in person, with your child if you like, to meet our team and see our facilities. We look forward to welcoming you and discussing any aspect of life at Micklefield.

Children are at the heart of everything we do.

Our aim is to create a friendly, happy atmosphere in an attractive and stimulating environment, where learning is a pleasurable activity, where confidence and self-esteem are developed, and where independence grows.

We are fully inclusive and welcome children from the diverse community. We have contact with outside experts in various fields for the identification and assessment of additional needs.

We want children to feel happy, safe and secure in school. Our team’s mission is to protect, support, manage, listen to, play with, care for and provide role models for the children. We encourage the children to explore through play - they test out and develop what they know and what they can do.

We offer a full range of activities carefully planned, following the latest curriculum guidance to help children become confident learners. A summary of the six learning aspects appears at the end of this prospectus.

Our Ofsted report is available to anyone interested: Please do ask. It is also our job to teach kindness, politeness and respect for everything and everybody with which children may come into contact: other children, adults, animals and school equipment. We do our best to encourage good manners, fairness, honesty and understanding of right and wrong behavior.

We monitor the children’s activities through observation, discussion and recording. Through artwork, music, role-play and stories we hope to contribute to the children’s understanding of the wider world, the multi-cultural nature of the community and the way in which things alter with time.

It is essential that parents/carers and staff communicate effectively. We encourage close links with families to ensure that the child’s best interests are followed and our ongoing contact with parents is very important in monitoring the development of the children at this stage.

Parent consultations are arranged, and parents are also encouraged to come and speak about a child’s progress, or discuss a point of concern, at any time. Whenever necessary we hope that complaints will be brought to our notice and suggestions made.

Some ground rules … for children and staff.

We base our rules on kindness and politeness to one another, whether child or adult, and respect for all people, animals, or things with which we may come into contact.

We reinforce good behavior by praise and encouragement. Aggressive and bullying behavior are not allowed, and disruptive behavior is usually dealt with by removing the child from the situation until she/he can behave in a more acceptable way. We expect the children to play reasonably, and to be especially safety-conscious when playing outside.

Staff do not use any forms of physical intervention, such as holding, unless it is necessary to prevent personal injury to the child, other children, an adult or serious damage to property. Any accident is recorded and the parent/carer informed on that day.

We do our best to settle all children but we reserve the right to request the removal of any child whose behavior is considered to be disruptive or unacceptable.

How we organise our classes.

At Micklefield the children are divided between three classes, each with its own identity, based on age groups. We have Squirrels, Hedgehogs and Badgers classes, and also a mixed-aged afternoon group, the Woodland Friends.

A ratio of 1:6 staff to the children is maintained for the three-plus age group (the legal requirement being 1:8), and a 1:4 ratio is kept for the children under three. This ratio is strictly adhered to during all activities, both indoors and outside.

Before admission, parents and their children are invited to open sessions to meet the staff. This helps the transition from home to nursery for the child and allows you to ask any questions, observe the school at play and generally begin to feel at home with us.

A ballet teacher takes a dance class for both boys and girls every Tuesday afternoon. Please ask for details.

The school notice board is on the wall immediately opposite the main front door. Please get into the habit of glancing at it when you come in for all messages and information. The Badgers class have their own notice board by their classroom door.

What we require from parents.

Parents must complete an application form before admission, giving details of next of kin, home and emergency phone numbers, any conditions or allergies, special dietary needs and a signed consent form in case emergency treatment is ever necessary. A £60.00 deposit is required upon entry along with an admin. fee of £10.00 per school year.

We will ask you to give your permission for us to take photos of your child (invaluable as we compile the children’s assessment profiles) and also for certain other things which may occur during the nursery day.

Upon admission you must have completed an application form. By doing so you will be automatically complying with our policies and procedures. A copy of these is available to read and can be found hanging in the corridor.

Children are always handed to parents or individuals designated by parents to collect their children at home time, and no child is allowed to leave school with any other person unless staff have been informed beforehand or they are on the contact list.

If a parent is unavoidably delayed due to an emergency, they must contact the school to say they will be late collecting their child and arrange with the staff what to do. Lateness will be charged at £10.00 per hour or part thereof.

Please inform the school if your child cannot attend, and in the cases of diarrhoea and vomiting, please do not let your child return until 48 hours after their last bout of sickness or loose motion.

Facts about fees and funding.

Children may claim the Early Years Education Entitlement from the term after their third birthday, and you may access up to 15 hours per week in 3 hour blocks.

Please be aware, however, that funding period is for a certain amount of weeks per school year and Micklefield is open 39 weeks. Should this be the case parents and carers will be expected to pay full fees on those days.

Although classes begin at 9:00am, children may arrive from 8:50am. Should you require an earlier start, a member of staff is on duty from 8:30am and your child may be left by prior arrangement only.
A charge of £2.75 per morning will be made for this service.

Fees must be paid immediately on receipt of accounts. An additional charge of 10% will be made should an account remain unpaid. Please note we regret that days missed for holidays and sickness cannot be made up.

Fees are payable per calendar month.

Opening hours

 

Nursery Fees

 

* (EYEE) is The Early Years Education Entitlement.

 

What to bring to school and what to leave at home.

We expect all children to wear school uniform every day and sensible, seasonal shoes. Please ensure that your child has a coat and wellies at school in winter as we always try to go out whatever the weather.

We ask you also to do your best to dress children in clothes they can manage for themselves for example, belts and braces are very difficult when learning to take yourself to the lavatory, and can be restricting during some activities.

Please make sure sweatshirts and outdoor clothing are clearly marked.

Please discourage the bringing of toys into school except in special cases. For example, a comforter may be suggested by the staff to aid settling in or to comfort your child if they get tired.

It is very difficult to keep track of such items, and other children’s toys are always irresistible and often the cause of arguments. We do not allow money or jewellery or sweets to be brought in.

Uniform list (available from school).

If preferred:
white or navy polo shirt together with navy blue skirt, shorts, leggings or trousers of your own choice.

Getting used to the Micklefield routine.

Our term times are more or less in line with these of the local state schools, and we are open for 39 weeks of the year.

Our routine follows much the same pattern every day: security and continuity are all-important. Do please ask questions about this when you visit.

We have a snack between 10:15am and 10:45am and again at about 2:30-3:00pm when we serve milk or water from a cup. There is a chart to show you which snack is offered on which day – this allows parents to state their child’s likes and dislikes. Please encourage your child to use a cup at home rather than a beaker or bottle.

Food for thought.

We encourage healthy eating and offer a variety of snacks such as apples, raisins and sultanas, Shreddies, Cherrios, and wholemeal bread with jam.

Lunches are available cooked freshly on the premises each day and a variety of food is offered. A weekly menu can be found on the dining room door. A packed lunch can be brought from home. Water is served at the table, so you do not need to pack a drink. A cool bag with a cool pack will keep food at the right temperature - please label the bag clearly. We also find yoghurts in tubes can be a choking hazard, so please choose a tub and pack a spoon. Please also make sure that grapes, cherry tomatoes, apples and similar food are cut into bite-sized pieces.

The dining room is always carefully supervised and Pete the polite penguin encourages table manners.

Our complaints procedure.

We are always open to complaints from any source and will do our best to resolve them. If your concern is a minor one, we would hope that it could be resolved amicably by discussing it with us.

In the event that there is a more serious complaint that you feel requires more formal attention, please write to the Board of Governors.

Chairman: Ashley Renton.
Parent Liaison Governor: Emma Moore.

Should you wish to make a complaint to Ofsted,
their address is:

Royal Exchange Buildings
St Ann’s Square
Manchester M2 7LA

Summary of the six areas of learning from the
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Personal, social and emotional development

We support the transition to and between settings, promoting an inclusive ethos and providing opportunities for each child to have to become a valued member of the Micklefield community so that a strong self-image and self-esteem are promoted.

We develop positive attitudes towards children’s learning - in particular, an enthusiasm for knowledge and learning and a confidence in their ability to be successful learners.

We teach social skills - in particular by providing opportunities that enable children to learn how to co-operate and work harmoniously alongside and with each other, and to listen to each other. We help develop attention skills and persistence, in particular the capacity to concentrate on individual play or on group tasks.

Communication, language and literacy

We create opportunities for all the children to talk and communicate in a widening range of situations, to respond to adults and to each other, to practice and extend the range of vocabulary and communication skills they use, and to listen carefully.

We initiate reading and writing opportunities for all children to explore, enjoy and learn about writing as a form of communication and to experience a rich variety of books.

Mathematics

We provide opportunities for all children to develop their understanding of numbers, measurement, pattern, shape and space by providing a broad range of contexts in which they can explore, enjoy, learn, practice and talk about them.

Knowledge and understanding of the world

We provide opportunities for all children to solve problems, make decisions, experiment, predict, plan and question in a variety of contexts and explore and find out about their environment and people and places that have significance in their lives.

Physical development

We provide opportunities for all children to develop and practice their fine and gross motor skills and to increase their understanding of how their bodies work, and what they need to do to be healthy and safe.

Creative development

We give children opportunity to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of art, design and technology, music, movement, dance and imaginative and role-play activities.