The Nottingham Nursery School & Training Centre opened in September 2008 in a bespoke building featuring a split-level design with the nursery school occupying the ground floor and the training centre upstairs. We are the only Local Authority maintained Nursery School in the City and have no defined catchment. We are unique in that as a school we admit children aged 3 - 5 for 38 weeks free 15 hours entitlement and for the 2 year old programme. Parents may pay for additional hours for 2 - 5 year olds if the nursery has space available. We are open for after school care for children aged 2 - 8.
The extensive use of glass in the design lends the building a light and airy feel, and a bright and spacious reception leads through to a space for parents and to the classrooms at the rear of the building. The classrooms and training facilities are comfortable and well equipped for the demands of modern learning, development and care. An on-site kitchen provides freshly prepared and cooked meals and snacks for the children. All meals served are vegetarian and are of an excellent standard.
The 4 classrooms are large and link into each other. Each has an interactive whiteboard which is accessible to small children. There are toilets off each classroom and we have nappy changing facilities. A large hall provides space for lunch and for large group activities such as parachute, dance or parties. There is an extensive, enclosed outdoor area with trees, grass, climbing equipment, sand pit, hard surface area for wheeled toys, different textured surfaces and a large covered area to allow children to play and learn outdoors regardless of the weather.
In July 2010 a large natural interactive area was constructed with gravel, pulleys and a super water play system. This area was created with Local Authority Early Years Capital Grant funding and constructed by early years playground specialists (http://www.timotayplayscapes.co.uk/).
There is a large digging and planting area – our ‘allotment’ where we grow vegetables which the children harvest and eat. We have chickens, fish and a wild area for children to explore and learn about the outdoors - we provide outdoor clothes and boots for children to play outside whatever the weather.
The end of the field adjacent to the Nursery has been developed as a ‘Forest School’ area (http://www.forestschools.com/) and has become our own woodland and orchard area. It has a fire pit and log store, an enclosed pond, living willow structures, apple, pear and native deciduous trees and obstacles for children to climb and balance. The development has been funded by a grant through the Local Authority’s Early Years Innovation Fund and was completed in April 2011. Staff are specially trained in leading outdoor activities such as fire building.
The staff are all qualified and experienced teachers and childcare practitioners. All classroom based staff are trained in paediatric first aid and all staff hold current safeguarding certificates.
OFSTED visited us in January 2012 and stated “This is a good school……..with examples of outstanding practice”. To see the full report click on the link January OFSTED Report 2012(http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/filedownloading/?id=944389&type=1&refer=0). We received an “excellent” rating in the Local Authority’s Early Years Quality Assurance programme, and are the first City school to achieve a national gold Go4it award for creativity, innovation and an adventure for learning with a positive attitude towards risk (http://www.hti.org.uk/html/pr/pr203.php).
Hti have displayed some of our children’s artwork, click on the link to view. (http://www.hti.org.uk/news/news-item-10182)
Since opening we have also been awarded Healthy Schools status and have been recognised as an Investor in People.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLKlxOP-Cac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlUMz56isps