New Starter Information

'Education is your child's best life chance. We have a job to do together to secure success for the future!' 

Vanessa Langley Headteacher

We believe that working together will secure the best opportunities for your child. Family and partnerships are really important to the team at Arbourthorne. We want your child to have the smoothest transition from home to Foundation Stage and we offer an extensive transition package to ensure your child has the best possible start. Please telephone the school office if you wish to speak with our Foundation Stage Lead, Angela Fox via the school office 0114 2398163. No question is too small! We know this is an important step in yours and your child's life! 

We look forward to meeting you!

Is your child 3 or 4 years old? Do you want them to join Team Arbourthorne?

Find out more below and complete the form or contact the school office by phone.

In our Nursery we value learning through play. Learning will be fun, practical and hands on. There will be times when your child may get messy or wet. This is all part of your child finding out about the world and is crucial for their development. The children will be given the opportunity to play outside every day, in all weather conditions. Being outside and being active is also extremely important for young children to learn and develop. Our Nursery team includes experienced teachers and a team of experienced Early Years practitioners.  

Much of the learning in Nursery is based around the children’s interests. Be sure to tell us about what your child likes doing or if they have done anything special so we can follow this interest by incorporating it into the children’s learning.

The children will be developing their awareness of numbers and letters. You can support your child by pointing out letters and numbers in the environment around you. Weather at home or out and about. For example, look out for house numbers, number plates, road signs, packaging, posters on public transport, advertisements and logos. Talk to your child about the words, letters and numbers you see.

The children will be listening to lots of stories and singing songs and rhymes at Nursery. It can help your child to develop their literacy skills if you sing and read stories at home. If you would like any support with this please speak to a member of the Foundation Stage team. We have a lending library in Nursery and ask each parent to regularly borrow a book to read with their child. We recommend reading with your child for at least 10 minutes per day.

 In our Nursery we offer free early learning places to three and four year olds. We can offer both 15 and 30 hours free early learning contracts. We also offer a top up service where parents and carers can top up their free hours for a fee. Please ask our Nursery or Office staff if this is something you are interested in. 

Our session times are:

Morning session: 8.30-11.30

Afternoon session: 12.10-3.10

Full day: 8.30-3.10 

Apply for a Nursery place below or contacting the school office