Our Learning Environment
John Bear’s Nursery is purpose built, with our own car park accessed via Norwich Road. Our Nursery is situated over the field from the main school with a footpath across the field to the school and also a footpath from the gate on Norwich Road.
We have our own fenced-off outdoor door area including a covered veranda, a barked area with mud kitchen, a grassy area with hillocks and an all-weather artificial grassed area. Our school’s woodland area and fields are also available for us to use.
Planning In the Moment
Since September 2018 we have adopted a way of working in the Nursery called ‘planning in the moment’, based on the work of Anna Ephgrave. Rather than planning activities for the children in which the adult takes the lead, in ‘planning in the moment’ the adult watches the children’s play, identifies how to move the child’s skills or learning on and then supports them to do this in that moment. As a result the teaching is more closely matched to the children’s individual needs and interests.
As part of our ‘planning in the moment’, each week we have a number of children whose play and learning we focus on in particular. You will be given a letter the week before and invited to tell us more about your child’s interests and learning at home. It is also an opportunity for you to ask us about anything you would like to know about their progress and development. Your child’s key worker will also arrange to meet with you after your child’s focus week to discuss what has been observed and answer any questions you may have.
Online Learning Journals
All the children also have an online learning journal on Tapestry. These can be accessed by families to see observations of their children’s learning at Nursery and they are also a great way for families to share their child’s experiences and learning from home. We also use Tapestry to share home learning activities.
