Our Nursery and Reception are part of the Foundation Stage Unit at the Federation of Holy Trinity Schools. Nursery  is taught by Miss Davies and Reception is taught by Miss Davison. The children are supported by teaching assistants from across the unit: Mrs Chalmers, Miss Tiffany, Miss Elsy and Miss Turner. 

The Federation of Holy Trinity Church of England Schools is committed to the nursery being led by qualified teachers and it being an integral part of the school. Therefore, the school's Christian vision for the EYFS is shared with the whole school, as are the school’s policies, practices, curriculum and ethos.

With care at the centre of what we offer, and through a teacher-led approach, we ensure that we have an age-appropriate curriculum and provide opportunities and experiences which support and enhance children’s development. Having Nursery as part of the school provides the ability to plan for children’s learning over the longer term, understand, assess and meet their needs, whilst also preparing them for each phase of their education. 

Working as a Foundation Stage Unit, children can work at their experiential level rather than chronological age for longer. This means that there is no ceiling of development for nursery-age children, who may benefit from playing alongside older and more experienced children. Less experienced children particularly benefit when they reach reception age, as they can continue to engage in developmentally appropriate learning alongside younger children, can access appropriate resources easily and have the time and space to develop at their own pace.

In Nursery, pupils spend the majority of their time learning through play and child-initiated discovery. Children can access both the indoor and outdoor environment freely throughout the unit and these are set up daily to stimulate learning across all areas of the Early Years Curriculum. Staff are always there to support children's play, extend interactions and develop learning opportunities. 

Children are taught in short focused sessions when they spend time listening to stories, developing their language, practising their speaking and listening skills, and participating in maths, phonic and literacy learning activities.

In Reception, children engage in adult directed learning in Phonics, Maths, English and Learning Means the World. Learning through play is also a large part of the day when children can choose where they would like to learn and, like nursery, have the opportunity to learn across the unit. 

The team in the Foundation Stage Unit here at The Federation of Holy Trinity Church of England Schools strive for the very best outcomes for each and every child we teach. Our aim is to give every child the very best foundation for a lifelong love of learning! 

Below, you will find some useful information about our curriculum intent for EYFS and how we structure our Early Years Curriculum. You can see how we have mapped out what we teach throughout the year and see the books that we will be enjoying!

Also, we have added some supportive information about our approach to teaching phonics in Nursery. It highlights our emphasis on language development in the early years and promotes a real love for reading! You can see more in-depth information about our teaching of phonics in the 'Phonics & Early Reading' section of the website, which details our route through the Little Wandle programme from Reception and through Key Stage 1.