The Townsend Nursery opened its doors in September 1999 to welcome pre-school children the term they turn 2 years. The school is set in the Victorian wing of a listed Queen Ann farm house, it has been especially designed to create a homely environment and many of the original features including a range cooker and two bread ovens have been left in situ and help children have an understanding of history.  A recent addition of a stunning orangery has given us extra space down stairs and access to our garden.

There is an attractive courtyard and grass area with a playhouse, mud kitchen, climbing frame, swings and a fairy house. We also use a walled kitchen garden, to cultivate and grow plants or maybe for a mini-beast safari and of course we make use of the farm for nature walks. On warm days we move the classroom outside and the children can play in the water tray, chalk on the pavement or sit in the shade of the apple trees and listen to a story.

We follow the EYFS, which is embedded in all our planning. Our ethos is to deliver consistently, exciting, challenging and new experiences for children to build cultural capital; to prepare them with sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning. Through this approach to learning and play we make use of our farm by delivering a forest school programme (each Thursday) in a designated wood, which is within easy walking distance on the farm and is lead by two qualified forest school leaders.

The aim of the nursery is therefore to create a safe and comfortable learning environment for pre-school children. We operate in accordance with the 2004 children’s Act, Every Child Matters and everything we do reflects this; we teach the children to enjoy and achieve, to be healthy, to keep them safe and encourage them to make a positive contribution and support economic well being. We also operate under the Childcare Act 2006and children and families ACT 2014. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught at an appropriate level for each child’s needs, linking in through half termly topics to the long-term learning principles and commitments of the Early years foundation stage, which covers a child’s development from birth to three through to the end of the reception year. We achieve this by building on skills that are age appropriate and stimulating to each child’s interests and schemas. We observe and record children’s development and achievements, with the use of our iPad. These assessments are uploaded onto our virtual learning platform into each child’s learning journey which parents can share with unique log in details.  All this information is considered confidential and never placed on the web, or shared outside the nursery without parental consent, as we operate under a strict confidentiality policy and safe-guarding children policy. We consider parents as their children's primary educators and as such appreciate daily contact. Formal reports are uploaded to the learning platform at the end of the autumn and summer term and during the spring term informal parent's sessions are held.

Parents and carers are involved from the outset, filling in entry profiles and helping the key people caring for their children to form lasting attachments. We appreciate contact during the drop off and collection times so we can share information. In addition to this we hold lots of social events and the notice board informs parents of support, training and events taking place in the local area. A text message service and face book page also keep parents abreast of what is happening on a daily basis.

The development of literacy and numeracy skills are high on the agenda during the lessons structure; the children are taught letters and sounds, and phonological awareness is further developed through songs nursery rhymes and word games. The nursery encourages the enjoyment of books, we firmly encourage with the help of parents that children will become lifelong fluent readers. During circle time children are encouraged to join in with rhymes and songs and acting out stories and to initiate ideas, building their self confidence and to extend their vocabulary. We pride ourselves on encouraging a listening environment, where adults model good listening skills and encourage language development through open ended questions and through both adult and child-initiated activities. 

 The children take home free readers each day, to share with their parents these are not intended as a reading scheme as the children are too young; however it encourages the love of books and we hope our parents will enjoy sharing these books, at a time that they are not feeling pressurized or harassed. We have strong links with the maintained sector and private schools and are linked through early years partnership with both Ashperton county primary school.

        During the summer term when the older children leave us for their 'new schools we arrange teacher visits with our partnership school, Ashperton and also support transitional visits by accompanying the children. We are keen all our children achieve smooth transitions into their new schools; and draw up detailed holistic transition reports based on the detailed learning journeys and wherever possible link with other providers to share information with new schools.

Mathematical development is also encouraged through games, problem solving activities, and software on our computer and interactive white board. We use  Robots, counting rhymes, number lines and routines like counting the children during registration, and discussing 2d and 3d shapes in the environment.

The nursery encourages the development of personal and social skills with activities like music, yoga, dance and drama; we normally put on a performance either a play or a concert each Christmas for parents’ grandparents and friends. Children are encouraged to be independent, sociable and encouraged to express their feelings and be empathetic to others. The children learn new songs and rhymes which dovetail with the topics and parents can see the words of these songs on our web page: musicality is encouraged by learning rhythm and beat and listening to sounds in the environment as well as classical pieces. The children are encouraged to be independent; help decide and mind map what topics we are going to do, and it is fine to do a puzzle or create a masterpiece; we consider child-initiated play and open ended play very important. The children plan, build and play in our topic linked role play areas, the home corner or build in our imaginative construction areas(inside and outside) including milk crates, blocks and drain pipes . Our sand or water trays reflect the children's interests and may be interpreted as a sea scape or a dinosaur landscape. Every day we play outside, sometimes we explore the farm, visiting the apple orchards and watching the various crops being planted, or harvested. We roll down the grassy banks or lie on a rug a listen to the bees working. In spring and summer, we plant bulbs and seeds and cultivate the kitchen garden. The children are encouraged to be curious about the natural world and the seasons and explore these using all their senses: kneading snail shaped bread, tasting the apples they pick and fruit they prepare for snacks, listening to and looking at the different birds feed on the bird table. We use an interactive white board and the children are taught to use the computer through age appropriate software and ipads. We have French lessons with a fully qualified French teacher each Wednesday morning.

Most of all the Townsend is like home from home, where children learn to learn from firsthand experience, whether cooking, dancing or moving to music or programming a toy, the emphasis is on having fun and through these activities the children learn to respect other’s ideas, British values, cultures and beliefs, working in partnership with parents.

The nursery opens at 9am, and the children are handed over to parents or carers at 12:30  or at 3.45pm on Monday ,Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday if they wish to stay for the afternoon session. We ask parents to bring in a healthy packed lunch with a cool pack. We have a no nuts policy. The fees are paid half termly and NEF nursery education funding is calculated depending on the number of hours a child takes, this is up to 15 hours free (received the term following a child's  second and third third birthday) or You may qualify for up to 30 hours free. Fees are paid directly into the nursery account and must be received by the end of the second week of each term, we accept  childcare vouchers. We operate under both the Data protection Act and also the Freedom of Information Act. It is sometimes necessary for us to share information such as ethnicity and gender with the Local education authority and parents must respect our GDPR privacy notice. We link for an integrated review with a dedicated health visitor and on our parental contract, ask permission to share information. Unfortunately, there can be no refunds for missed days either through sickness or holiday. Once dates have been negotiated it is appreciated that they are not altered, if a day is reduced and the place is not filled the place will be charged for. We require a full term notice in writing otherwise the fees will have to be paid.

 There are a maximum of 23 children each day lead by correct ratios of qualified members of staff lead by and Early Years Teacher.

We would appreciate if named boots and indoor shoes (crocs / pumps) are left here at nursery. In the summer we like the children to wear sun cream and sun hats. We appreciate parents as the primary educators of their children and encourage partnership with them. We ask that parents read the behavior management policy, which was drawn up in consultation with past parents, and support us with this policy. This states our high expectations of good behavior; supporting children to be independent, resilient and self-rewarding. We also appreciate our parents being aware of the health and safety policy which states that a child who is sick needs to be kept off nursery for at least 48 hours to help minimize the spread of infection. There is a list of infectious diseases displayed on the parent’s notice board. The complaints policy is also on display with the procedure to follow in the event of a complaint being made, along with our last OFSTED report and a complaints poster including Ofsted’s number. In the event of a complaint being made this would be recorded in the complaints book in the nursery and if Ofsted are involved all parents would be informed.

It is also vital that parents read the lost and uncollected children  policies and our list of nutritious snacks served each day, including toast which the children help prepare and fruit in season. All staff have obtained food hygiene certificates which are updated every three years; we have obtained the highest score from environmental health on health and safety issues. We have a no nuts food policy and ask that you tell us and record on the information sheets if your child suffers from any allergy. Safety is one of our key priorities and parents are required to read shared information on how to keep all the children safe, parents are reminded all staff are trained in safe guarding children and our policy reflects the government's policy on ' what to do if you are worried a child is being abused'. In response to The Early Years Foundation stage Framework welfare requirements  we ask for detailed statutory information on legal responsibility, persons authorized to collect, and emergency contact details along with medical information. We expect you to update this if there are any changes.

Staff including supply cover and all family members over 16 hold a current CRB enhanced disclosure. All are well qualified the proprietor having a PGC Early Years and Early Years' Professional Status, and all remaining staff have a level 3 in childcare and development. All staff hold a current pediatric first aid certificate and have weekly training to keep abreast of changes in legislation. We have a policy of continual professional development and work to achieve the highest possible quality for all the children in our care. We have achieved a gold level quality assurance and continue to use reflective practice to keep up our high standards of care and education.

To arrange a visit contact Sue Davies (proprietor) on the above number. 

Activities(over and above EYFS)

Tuesday pm drama

Wednesday am- French – pm- Music

Thursday am- Forest school- pm ICT

Friday pm- dance/ baby Yoga

Fees 2020 Half day 9-12.30 (excludes lunch time) £25

Full day 9-3.45 £50